Understanding fuel price caps

What is a price cap?

A price cap is the maximum fuel price a station can set for the day.

Price caps reset each day at 6am and last for 24 hours. Retailers can reduce their fuel prices within this time but are not allowed to increase them.

Each retailer’s price cap will be published on Servo Saver by 4pm the day before, giving you a heads up about tomorrow’s prices. This will be displayed as ‘tomorrow’s price cap’.

Why is Servo Saver showing me two fuel prices?

From 4pm until 6am the next day, Servo Saver will show you two prices: the current price of fuel and tomorrow’s price cap. This helps you decide whether to buy fuel now or wait until the next day.

Who sets the price caps?

Price caps are set by the service station and submitted to Service Victoria.

Can fuel prices change during the day?

Fuel prices can only decrease during the day. Once a retailer reduces their prices, they can’t raise them again until the price cap resets at 6am the next day.

What is the maximum price cap a service station can set?

There's no maximum limit on what a retailer can set as its price cap. The maximum price cap varies based on market conditions and the previous day’s prices.

Discounts are not included in the cap price and can only be applied at the point of purchase.

How often are fuel price caps updated?

Fuel price caps can be updated every 24 hours.

When can I see tomorrow’s fuel price cap?

You can see tomorrow’s price cap on Servo Saver from 4pm the day before.

Will this price cap change?

Fuel price caps come into effect at 6am each day and apply for 24 hours.

Retailers can reduce their fuel prices at any time but are not allowed to increase prices for that 24-hour period.

What should I do if the price at the pump doesn’t match Servo Saver?

If you see a different price on the pump or main sign board:

• Check you’re comparing the same fuel type.
• Make sure you have the most recent price and refresh your app. Look for the ‘last updated’ time next to the price in the app or website.

If you’ve confirmed that the fuel price isn’t right, you can report it directly through the app.

Be aware: Fuel stations have up to 30 minutes to report price changes, so the app may not show the update right away. If you see a different price at the pump, the station might still be within that 30-minute window.

Visit Consumer Affairs Victoria’s pricing page to learn more about pricing rules and consumer rights.