New analysis of almost 220,000 national fuel transactions shows Australian drivers are still behaving differently at the bowser even after prices began to ease, suggesting the recent fuel spike has left a lasting “behavioural scar” on household routines.
Using anonymised salary packaging fuel card data from Maxxia customers, the research tracks how working Australians responded as average fuel prices jumped from about $1.79 per litre in February 2026 to more than $2.43 in March, before partially easing in May.
The analysis reveals a clear pattern: an initial price shock, a period of suppressed driving and delayed refuelling, and then only a partial return to old habits once prices came off their peak.
Key findings: Australians are driving and refuelling differently
1. Fuel shock changed habits quickly – and they haven’t fully gone back
- In March, the share of transactions at or above $2 per litre leapt from just over 10% to more than 83.4%, triggering immediate behaviour change.
- Median fill size dropped by more than 5% almost overnight, while small “top‑up” fills under 20 litres more than doubled from 3.4% to 8.4%.
- By May, as prices eased back to around $2.06 per litre, fill sizes had largely recovered, but remained below February levels, while big fills of 60 litres or more were still noticeably less common than before the spike, down 13%.
2. Australians are stretching every tank further
- Across the combined customer base, the typical driver was travelling more kilometres between fills in May than they were before the crisis in February (567km against 533km).
- The number of days between refuelling rose sharply and steadily in every state, peaking in May at 13.5 days – up from 8.6 days before the shock in February (Mar 11.1 days, Apr 12.5 days, May 13.5 days).
- This suggests many people are combining trips, delaying visits to the bowser and trying to make each tank last as long as possible.
3. Heavy drivers made the toughest – and most enduring – cuts
- Very high‑use drivers, travelling more than 120 kilometres a day, cut their distance by 45% between February and April and were still well below their previous driving levels in May (181kms in Feb to 99kms in April).
- In contrast, “high” users (60–120 kilometres a day) stayed relatively stable, indicating a core of travel that is essential and much harder to trim (83km in Feb, 81km in Mar, 76km in Apr & 76km in May).
Antonia Albanese, Maxxia CEO, said the data show cost of living pressure playing out in very practical, everyday decisions.
“For many of our customers, the car isn’t a luxury – it’s how they get to work, visit clients, or support their family,” Albanese said.
“When prices spiked, people reacted immediately. They put less in the tank, did fewer big fills, and started stretching each tank further. What’s striking is that even when prices began to come down, they didn’t completely go back to old habits. The fuel shock has clearly changed the way many Australians drive and refuel.
“The heaviest drivers in our data have cut their kilometres by almost half and kept them there. For people who can't simply stop driving, that tells you just how hard they're working to absorb these costs.”
Maxxia specialise in salary packaging and novated leasing, allowing eligible employees to pay for vehicle costs – including fuel, finance and running expenses – using a portion of their pre‑tax income.
“In a cost‑of‑living environment where you can’t always choose to drive less, the lever you do have is how you manage those costs,” Albanese said.
“Salary packaging and novated leasing can’t change the price on the bowser, but they can help smooth and structure one of the biggest household expenses. For a lot of working Australians, particularly those who have to stay on the road, that extra predictability and potential tax efficiency can make a real difference.”
Ends
About the analysis
The fuel behaviour analysis covers anonymised salary packaging fuel card transactions from Maxxia and RemServ customers between February and May 2026. It examines changes in fuel price, fill size, refuelling frequency and kilometres travelled across states and driving‑intensity segments.
Contact details:
Patrick Rasmussen
[email protected]
+61430 159 690