We strive to provide our customers fair and honest pricing. But the fact is fuel is a very low margin (profit) product and much of the pricing of fuel is not in our control.

After significant investment in facilities and APCO has covered all operational costs - which are outlined below - there is little retail margin (profit) of the 9% indicated left over.

APCO’s operational costs include:

• Pay our retail partners and licensee’s (the local people who run and work in our stores)
• Running costs for 24-hour – 7 day per week businesses
• Fuel transport and logistics
• Wages and administration
• Property Rent and utilities – especially electricity and rates
• Maintenance and asset improvement costs
• Capital investment on properties, facilities and equipment
• Compliance and regulation
• Marketing and sales costs for operating convenience stores 24/7

The cost of operating a service and convenience station has increased more than 300% over the past 15 years. We are committed to our retail partners, licensees and operators of all of our stores and that they achieve a fair livelihood. Likewise we work hard to make fuel affordable for all of our customers and provide services that will be as convenient and of a high quality for them as possible.

APCO is committed to keeping fuel prices fair – for our customers and for APCO!

• APCO is proudly a local independent retailer. Australian owned and managed, every dollar you spend at APCO stays in Australia, creating local jobs, paying local taxes and delivering many other conveniences, services and products to the people of Australia in clean, safe, modern facilities 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.
• We want to, and aim to every day, keep petrol prices low, but the bulk of fuel price rises are outside our control and are largely influenced by external factors.
• Before you even get to the local service station, 85% of the fuel price is influenced by things that are very hard to control. Australia’s high fuel prices reflect the rising cost of crude oil on the global market, the declining value of the Australian dollar and the huge impact of the fuel excise tax and GST charged by the Government.

Government fuel excise and GST add significantly to the cost you pay at the pump.

• If you combine fuel excise and GST, roughly 35% of your fuel costs are going to the Government as taxes.
• If you pay $1.30 a litre on petrol, the government is taking 44.2 cents in tax out of every litre you purchase. That’s $35.2 in tax every time you fill the average 80-litre fuel tank.
• Every one-cent increase in fuel excise results in the Government collecting an additional $220 million a year in taxes (approximately).

1. Drop the excise on fuel – when combined with the GST (based upon $1.60 per litre), the government is taking 38.8 cents in every dollar you spend on petrol OR 62 cents per litre
2. Remove the GST on fuel – the government is already getting the fuel excise, so this is a tax on a tax!
3. Stop the supermarket discount dockets – increased transparency at the petrol pump will lead to greater competition and lower fuel prices across the board.

What can you do?

Your local MP can help bring petrol prices down. Write a letter, email or speak to your local MP and tell them to take action. Ask them:

1. Reduce the fuel excise OR remove the GST on fuel or both. If you are based in Geelong we recommend that you send an email to:
   sarah.henderson.mp@aph.gov.au
   richard.marles.mp@aph.gov.au
2. Improve competition by making fuel prices at the pump more transparent by legislating to remove the supermarket discount dockets that distort petrol pricing. Supermarket discount dockets increase the fuel price cycle peak’s and you pay more for your fuel as a result!