Australians Turn to Online Surveys to Offset Soaring Petrol Costs as Fuel Crisis Bites

Sydney, Australia — As petrol prices surge toward record highs and household budgets buckle under mounting cost-of-living pressure, a growing number of Australians are turning to online surveys and reward platforms to help foot the bill at the bowser.

Competitions.com.au, Australia's #1 competition and rewards platform, has recorded a sixfold increase in survey activity over recent months as motorists look for creative ways to combat rising fuel costs.

Average petrol prices have shot up nearly 50 cents a litre across Australia's five largest capital cities in recent weeks, with unleaded 91 already sitting at $2.27/litre in Sydney, $2.35/litre in Melbourne, and $2.42/litre in Brisbane — with forecasts suggesting prices could exceed $3.00/litre in extreme circumstances. 

Housing, groceries, utilities, and transportation have seen the largest price increases, and economic analysts suggest that wage growth has not fully matched the pace of inflation, leaving many Australians feeling the squeeze. 

Alessandro Chisari, founder of Competitions.com.au, says the spike in survey participation reflects a shift in how Australians are thinking about everyday expenses.

"Competitions.com.au has always been about helping Australians win and save — that's been our core mission since we launched in 2012. But what we're seeing right now is really striking. Survey activity on our platform has increased sixfold in a short period, and when you look at what's happening at the petrol bowser and in household budgets across the country, it's not hard to understand why. People are being smart about it — they're completing a few surveys in their spare time and converting that into gift cards for BP, Shell, and EG — fuel retailers where they're already filling up. It might not fill the tank entirely, but for a lot of families it's making a real difference each week."

The process is simple. Members complete online surveys — taking around 12 to 20 minutes — and earn points in return. Those points are then redeemed for gift cards starting at $10, usable at fuel retailers BP, Shell, and EG, as well as supermarkets Woolworths and Coles.

But surveys are just the start. Members also get a free go on the platform's daily Guessing Game and Spin & Win wheel — both of which give away gift cards every single day. It's a straightforward way for everyday Australians to chip away at rising living costs from their couch.

"We built this platform to be Australia's most trusted place to find legitimate competitions — and that remains our bread and butter with over 350 verified competitions listed daily," Chisari added. "But the survey side of our business has grown into something really meaningful, especially right now. When we're paying out gift cards that are going straight toward petrol and groceries, that feels like exactly what we set out to do."

For Australians wanting to get started, Competitions.com.au has published a range of free guides covering how paid surveys work, how to maximise earnings, and which platforms are worth using. All guides are available at competitions.com.au/blog/category/survey-guides/.

With economists warning that a prolonged disruption to global oil supply could push prices a further $0.25 to $1.00 a litre higher, the platform expects survey participation to keep climbing as Australians look for every available tool to manage their budgets.