Arild Åsland has just turned into the local gas station in Stavanger. – I was on my way to work, and saw that it was cheap here. Then I thought I couldn’t just drive past. I had to take the chance, says Åsland. Petrol prices have fallen so low that he had to turn around and stop in on his way to work. – I don’t directly follow the prices, but I don’t think I’ve ever filled up when the price has been over NOK 24. I think I have saved quite a bit on that. Ole Eric Norheim says he always follows the prices. But it’s not always that easy. – Before it was always Monday, but it is no longer like that. Now it’s only coincidence that makes me hit the low point, says Norheim. Ole Eric Norheim is keen to keep an eye on fuel prices. Photo: Hanne Høyland / news He says he drives past petrol stations when fuel prices are high. – I don’t bother filling then. I am economical, you have to be today. I am a pensioner and thought I would have good finances in retirement, but all prices are increasing. Thinks there is a lot to save The Norwegian Competition Authority has mapped the price pattern for fuel from October last year to September this year. And there is a lot of money to be saved by following the prices, says deputy head of the department for construction, industry and energy in the Norwegian Competition Authority, Marita Skjæveland. Marita Skjæveland in the Norwegian Competition Authority Photo: Konkurransetilsynet – Recently, there has been a difference of three to five kroner per liter between the bottom and the top. If you fill up a 60 liter tank, you can save between NOK 200 and 300. It’s a good idea to always look at the price mast when you drive past a petrol station, she says. The Norwegian Competition Authority has discovered a pattern in when prices are often at their lowest. These times are Tuesday morning and Friday morning. According to the survey, the price is at its lowest just before price increases, which usually happen two or three times a week. – It can happen any day of the week, including weekends. It happens most often on Tuesdays and Fridays. Between the price peaks, prices go steadily down, says Skjæveland. That means you can make a bargain early Tuesday or Friday morning. Skjæveland adds that how quickly prices fall, and how far they go, depends on local competition. Local gas stations keep a close eye on each other’s fuel prices. Photo: Hanne Høyland / news Fuel prices in Norway are governed, among other things, by the price of oil and international conditions. But the petrol stations follow each other’s prices, both nationally and locally. This price war can also affect how much the fuel costs. – The way the pattern works, the price peaks are the same across the country. It happens on the same day, and goes up to about the same level. The local competition has a say in how far the prices drop, says Skjæveland in the Competition Authority. Promise to keep an eye on the competitors Customer Snorre Risa also keeps a close eye on fuel prices. – I certainly feel that there is cooperation. Prices go up and down at the same time. I don’t think it’s good, it works almost like a monopoly. Snorre Risa has noticed that the prices at petrol stations are usually the same. Photo: Hanne Høyland / news – There is no competition when petrol stations cooperate on prices, as they seem to be doing, says Arild Åsland. Nevertheless, it is not illegal to follow the competitors, says Skjæveland. – The fact that the prices are the same is not in itself a sign that there is a breach of the Competition Act, i.e. that there is collaboration. At the same time, it can be quite easy to get by in this market. There are few and no big competitors, and we know that they keep an eye on each other. Price war among petrol stations Knut Hilmar Hansen is head of communications at Circle K Norway. He confirms that the price is determined locally based on local competitive conditions. – Our station drivers spend a lot of time checking local prices, so that we are competitive locally. It is important to us. He also points out that the variation in fuel prices is also due to local price wars. – When the pump price is set, stations in the local area start reducing prices to attract customers. We are experiencing strong competition in several places in Norway now, and lower pump prices for both petrol and diesel. Fuel prices vary throughout the week, and are determined by the local price war. Photo: Hanne Høyland / news
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At these two times, fuel is cheapest – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
