Methodology and Data Transparency
This page explains how Petrol Prices Near Me collects, processes, and publishes fuel price information for Melbourne and Victoria. It is designed to make our editorial and technical process transparent for readers, search engines, and data partners.
Named data sources
We use three layers that merge at runtime: a live price feed, an operational station catalogue, and a committed snapshot fallback.
| Source | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria FairFuel Open Data API | Primary | Primary live fuel price feed — retailer-reported bowser prices published via Service Victoria fuel price transparency. |
| Baserow | Catalogue | Operational station catalogue — station identity, addresses, coordinates, brand, and admin edits. |
| stations.json (committed snapshot) | Fallback | Build-time and runtime fallback when live FairFuel fetch is unavailable — embedded snapshot prices from the last successful sync. |
Fuel update process
- Fetch latest records from the Victoria FairFuel Open Data API when credentials are available.
- Merge with the Baserow station catalogue (identity, coordinates, brand).
- Normalize station names, addresses, and fuel type labels.
- Validate numeric ranges and reject malformed records.
- Fall back to the committed stations.json snapshot when live fetches are unavailable.
- Refresh site listings and price surfaces on a scheduled cadence.
- Display timestamps so users can evaluate data freshness.
Update frequency
Station listings are refreshed on a scheduled basis aligned with the Victorian fuel transparency reporting cycle. Active stations in the Melbourne metro area typically update one or more times per day. Regional stations may update less frequently. Each listing displays a last-reported timestamp so you can assess freshness before acting on a price.
Freshness labels and limitations
User-facing freshness uses a single vocabulary. We never label stale data as live.
Reported recently
Last retailer report within 2 hours — not a live pump feed.
Reported today
Last retailer report within 24 hours.
Last reported
Price shown but last report is older than 24 hours.
Not reported
No plausible price available for this listing.
Reference snapshot
Committed build snapshot when live fetch was unavailable.
- Listed prices are retailer-reported board prices — not a live pump feed.
- Victoria-only coverage; we do not publish NSW, QLD, or other state listings.
- Bowser prices may differ from listed values if a retailer changes price before the next Service Victoria filing.
- Loyalty, docket, app-only, and fleet discount prices are not shown.
- When live FairFuel fetch is unavailable, pages may show a reference snapshot — labelled explicitly.
How averages and spreads are calculated
- Average
- Unweighted mean of listed prices for the fuel grade across stations in the suburb or area. Stations without a reported price for that grade are excluded.
- Spread
- Highest listed price minus lowest listed price for the fuel grade in the area (max − min).
- Median
- Middle value when all listed prices for the fuel grade are sorted lowest to highest.
Unless a page explicitly gates stale listings, averages and spreads may include prices older than 24 hours. Check per-station timestamps before acting on a number.
Coverage
Our directory covers petrol stations registered under Victorian fuel price transparency requirements. Coverage is limited to Victoria. We do not currently cover NSW, QLD, or other states.
What we don't show
We do not display loyalty discount prices, in-store docket redemptions, or fleet account rates. Bowser board prices only. These may differ from app-based promotions offered by individual brands.
Accuracy statement
We aim to publish accurate fuel information based on official upstream reporting. Because station operators can change prices after reporting, occasional timing gaps can occur. If you identify a discrepancy, please report it via our corrections policy or contact page. Verified issues are triaged and corrected as quickly as practical.
Editorial and governance
Methodology updates are reviewed by our editorial team before publication. Published by Al T (contact@petrolpricesnearme.com.au). For standards on writing, updates, and corrections, see our editorial policy, corrections policy, and author profile.
Citations and official references
Data and methodology FAQs
- Where does Petrol Prices Near Me get its fuel price data?
- Primary live prices come from the Victoria FairFuel Open Data API (Service Victoria fuel price transparency). Station identity and admin edits are maintained in Baserow. When live fetches fail, we fall back to a committed stations.json snapshot embedded in the build.
- How often are prices updated?
- Live merges run on the Service Victoria reporting cycle — most metro stations refresh one or more times daily. Individual station cards and suburb pages show timestamps so you can judge freshness before you drive. During builds or API outages, reference snapshot prices may be shown and labelled accordingly.
- What happens if a price looks wrong?
- We validate numeric ranges and reject malformed records at ingest time. If operators change bowser prices after a retailer report, the site may lag until the next FairFuel refresh — always confirm at the pump if the purchase is material. Report a correction via our contact page; we verify against upstream reporting, not crowd votes.
- Do you rank or promote specific brands?
- Directory ordering is driven by observed prices and transparent sorting rules (for example cheapest-first views), not paid placement. Editorial pages explain methodology and limitations in plain language.