New Zealand drivers hurting from the price of petrol

Kiwis are so concerned with the cost of fuel that they’ve taken measures into their own hands to save money on trips to the pump, according to the results of our recent survey.

The results of our latest survey show that nearly 70% of New Zealand drivers felt the rising cost of fuel has impacted their quality of life, and many New Zealand drivers worked around this problem in different ways:

• More than half of respondents saved money on petrol costs by only using their car for essential trips.
• Thirty eight percent of respondents waited for at least a day after the ‘empty’ warning light came on before refuelling their car.
• One in five New Zealanders utilised public transport options more than they did a year ago.

It was also clear that Generation Y Kiwis were more likely to conserve and save than the other generations, with the highest likelihood of taking public transport in the past year (28%) and of waiting for the empty petrol tank light to come on before refuelling (50%).

Roughly two thirds of New Zealanders also went to the effort of visiting a particular service station to take advantage of fuel discount dockets.

Our results also showed which service station brand stacked up as a five star brand for New Zealand drivers. Z Energy achieved five star ratings for nearly every criteria – taking out our most satisfied customers award for service stations. Congratulations are also in order for Gull, who received five stars for customer satisfaction with the price of their petrol.

Shell, Challenge, Caltex, BP New Zealand, Pak’N Save and Mobil were also rated.

Canstar Blue commissions Colmar Brunton Australia to survey 2,500 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories every few months to measure and track customer satisfaction. The outcomes reported are the results from service station customers within the survey group – in this case, 2,232 people. To qualify, the customer must have refuelled a motor vehicle at a service station in the last 6 months. Brands must receive at least 30 responses to be included.

Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands that received three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10.

Overall satisfaction

Z Energy, received five stars for overall customer satisfaction. Next were Gull, Shell, Challenge and Caltex with four stars; then BP, Pak’N Save and Mobil with three.

Price of petrol

Many New Zealand drivers value a fair price at the pump, with three in five respondents declaring price is more important than convenience when looking to refuel. Gull received five stars for the price of their petrol, followed by four star recipient Pak’N Save. Next with two stars were Z Energy, Challenge, Caltex and Mobil; then Shell and BP with one.

Service

Customers of Z Energy were most satisfied with their service station’s service; earning the brand five stars. Next were Gull, Shell, Challenge, Caltex and Mobil with four stars each; then BP with three and Pak’N Save with two.

Range of other items for sale (e.g. gas bottles, firewood, grocery items)

Many service station customers expect access to food and drink, magazines and other convenience items . Z Energy received five stars for the range of items available in their stores; followed by Gull, Shell, Caltex and BP with four. Challenge and Mobil received three stars each, and Pak’N Save received two.

Appearance and cleanliness of service station

Z Energy was once again out in front, this time for the appearance and cleanliness of their service stations. The five star recipients were followed by Gull, Shell, Caltex, BP, Pak’N Save and Mobil with four stars each. Challenge received three stars.

Facilities (e.g. car wash, air pump, water buckets, windscreen cleaners)

Whether it’s a slow leak on a flat tyre, or a filthy windshield: service stations cater for motorists in all sorts of dilemmas. Z Energy achieved a five star rating for their facilities, followed by four star recipients Mobil, BP, Caltex and Shell. Gull and Challenge received three stars for this criteria, and Pak’N Save received two.