Hello and welcome to the May 2006 edition of the MotorMouth Newsletter.

We have received many requests of late to explain what octane ratings actually mean. So this month we are focussing on providing you with some information you might find interesting.

What is an octane rating?
An octane rating is a numerical measurement of the anti-knock properties of a motor fuel. “Knocking” is also referred to as detonation or pinging. Essentially, “knocking” is that terrible "ping ping ping" sound your engine might make when it is accelerating or under load.

Put simply, vehicle manufactures specify a fuel octane rating for each car produced to ensure maximum performance and reduce knocking / pinging under normal conditions.

What does the octane level need to be for fuel to be called Premium?
Under the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 regular unleaded fuel must have a minimum Research Octane Number (RON) of 91, with premium having a minimum of RON 95.

How can I be sure that I am getting what I pay for?
When the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 was introduced, measures were put in place to ensure that consumers are protected. Random fuel sampling at refineries, terminals, distribution terminals, service stations and other outlets are undertaken on a regular basis.

A supplier or producer found guilty of supplying 'off-spec' fuel may face penalties of up to $550,000.

What is the price difference between regular and premium unleaded fuels?
I’m sure you are aware that the higher the octane level, generally the higher the price you will pay. As an average across the country, April saw the gap between ULP and PULP around the 6.5c per litre. The table below shows the differences in the averages for the Major Cities.

Will my car perform better if I use premium instead of regular unleaded?
A common misconception amongst motorists is that adding a higher octane fuel will guarantee increased performance and/or lessen fuel consumption; this is mostly false. Engines perform best when using fuel with the octane rating they were designed for and any increase in performance by using a fuel with a different octane rating is minimal. Using higher octane fuel for an engine makes a difference when the engine is producing its maximum power.

So which octane fuel should you use?
Ultimately it’s a matter of personal choice as only individual motorists can decide which octane of fuel they should use. It will essentially depend on the manufacturers specifications for each car and the consideration of overall benefit versus fuel price.

Further Information

If you are interested in finding out some further information about Octane ratings or the Fuel Quality laws, you might want to take a look at the following websites:

Fuel Quality Standards
http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bd/2003-04/04bd030.htm

Octane Ratings Explained
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating

Monitoring Fuel Quality
http://www.deh.gov.au/atmosphere/fuelquality/publications/mce.html

I trust this information is useful and don’t forget to keep checking MotorMouth to find the cheapest prices available.

Until next month…

Alan Price
Marketing Manager - MotorMouth
apricemotormouth.com.au

This month's winner is Ildiko from Ashgrove in QLD. Ildiko's entry - Too expensive? "You know, I really do wonder, perhaps it's not such a bad thing that petrol prices are getting so high. We all know that oil is a finite resource, maybe we've forgotten to respect it as such. Perhaps money is the only motivator to prompt users to wonder about and ultimately demand alernative, cheaper and cleaner sources of energy, thus creating a demand that can no longer be ignored. And who knows, maybe the environment will finally get to breath a sigh of relief, even if the benefit was unintentional." Congratulations Ildiko! Your prize will be sent out to you shortly.

EMAIL IN AND WIN!

Do you have an opinion or comment about a motoring or fuel related issue or story you’d like to share with your MotorMouth users from around the country? If so, send through your contribution in 200 words or less and you could win a prize! Your entry can be positive or negative (but of course not rude). The person whose comment is deemed most interesting each month will be awarded a book (or series of books) to the value of $50 from QBD The Bookshop.

So what are you waiting for? Send through your contribution. Remember to add your name, address and phone number to your entry so we can notify you if you are chosen as our winner and send you your prize. Please note, only users who are signed up to receive the MotorMouth Newsletter can win the competition.

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The average, lowest and the highest Unleaded prices for April 2006 in each city were:

The price leading service stations for Unleaded in each city in April 2006 were:

Brisbane	Service Station Matilda Address corner Boundary Road and Tile Street Suburb Carole Park Average Price for month 118.1
Sydney	Service Station Helou Petrol Address corner Rawson Road and Ferndell Street Suburb Granville Average Price for month 125.3
Melbourne	Service Station Horizon Address corner Highbury Road and Andrew Street Suburb Mount Waverley Average Price for month 127.4
Adelaide	Service Station Southern Cross Address corner O.G. Road and Yaralin Avenue Suburb Klemzig Average Price for month 126.7
Perth	Service Station Caltex/Woolworths Address corner Grand Promenade and Lowick Road Suburb Dianella Average Price for month 124.8

The average, lowest and the highest Diesel prices for April 2006 in each city were:

The price leading service stations for Diesel in each city in April 2006 were:

Brisbane	Service Station United Address corner Johnson Road and Dickman Road Suburb Forestdale Average Price for month 124.8
Sydney	Service Station Helou Petrol Address corner Rawson Road and Ferndell Street Suburb Granville Average Price for month 129.8
Melbourne	Service Station United Address corner Princes Highway and Belgrave-Hallam Road Suburb Hallam Average Price for month 130.6
Adelaide	Service Station United Address Commercial Road Suburb Salisbury Average Price for month 134.8
Perth	Service Station C Santoro Repairs and Maintenance Address Hammond Road Suburb Jandakot Average Price for month 134.2

The average, lowest and the highest LPG prices for April 2006 in each city were:

The price leading service stations for LPG in each city in April 2006 were:

Brisbane	Service Station Empire Petroleum Address Logan River Road Suburb Beenleigh Average Price for month 53.8
Sydney	Service Station BP Address Hume Highway Suburb Bass Hill Average Price for month 46.2
Melbourne	Service Station Mobil Address Boronia Road Suburb Wantirna Average Price for month 43.5
Adelaide	Service Station Caltex/Woolworths Address Aeolian Drive Suburb Golden Grove Average Price for month 48.2
Perth	Service Station Caltex/Woolworths Address Great Eastern Highway Suburb Riverdale Average Price for month 51.1

MotorMouth is committed to helping Australian motorists get a better deal on fuel by providing them with free and easily accessible information on fuel prices.

Reproduction of the whole or part of this email constitutes an infringement of copyright. All information published in this email is intended to be used for your personal use only and can not be used for commercial use without the prior written consent of MotorMouth Pty Ltd. For data sales enquiries please contact salesmotormouth.com.au