Top 5 fuel finder apps in the UK
The fuel comparison apps couldn’t come at a better time. The rapid rise and (occasional) fall of prices can be hard to keep up with. Our colleagues here at Tradesure have installed, tried and tested 5 apps that use GPS to locate and direct you to your nearest fuel stations, you can see in advance the cost of petrol and diesel and in most cases.
The best part? The apps we’ve scrutinized are free and positively reviewed on the app store. We’ve scored and ranked the apps to determine what works best on the go. Continue reading to find out our favourite…
How did we rank the fuel station finder apps?
We selected 5 key areas that need to work well for the app to be considered ‘the best’:
Useability – Usability of any app is the first thing you might pass judgement on. If the initial set up or layout causes any confusion, it’s likely you’ll delete it and try a different one. First impressions really matter.
Accuracy – We compared the data shown on all 5 apps to see if they identified all the fuel stations in the area, including supermarkets and smaller garages. When judging accuracy, we also checked if the local roads and directions are correct. Spoiler alert – not all of our apps knew where they were sending us!
GPS location – Built in GPS was a desirable we thought. Once you’ve selected your chosen fuel station, it would be ideal to click ‘Go’ and have the directions instantly, rather than having to leave the app to follow directions on Google maps, for example.
App Speed – Crucial! With today’s technology, an extra second can feel like half an hour and that’s simply unacceptable, right? The main factors for us here are that the app runs smooth and loads quickly both on and off Wifi. An app for this purpose more often than not will be called upon when you’re out on the move, so needs to perform when using mobile data.
Type of fuel options – Finally, we want to know what fuel type we can get at what stations. In addition, what apps will show you your nearest electric car charge port. We don’t ask for much…
So here are our thoughts, and the scores on the doors based on our 5 ranking factors above.
5 – Petrol Prices 15/30
There’s no medal or podium position for fifth but we will say, the Petrol Prices app offered a comprehensive range of fuel stations including supermarket and fuel brands. It was easy to zoom the map in/out and select fuel stations as desired; however, the load speed and lag could be seen as an annoyance.
The app set-up process was unnecessarily complex – users must read the terms and privacy policy and create an account before even seeing how the app works and looks. For most, this would be a deterrent.
When scored, this app was rated by our users as less than average in most areas.
Pros:
- Free
- Wide range of fuel stations located
Cons:
Set up process is lengthy, app load speed, glitchy
4 – Fuelio 18/30
Our 4th place app is Fuelio, earning itself this position due to some snags with its functionality when actually put to the test. Firstly, there’s a bit of a set up process to this app, requiring information prior to using the fuel station finder. The app isn’t as sleek and smooth as its higher ranked comrades, showing some data as ‘last updated 11 days ago’ it’s not really that reliable.
Looking for a silver lining, we will note this app allows you to select ‘electric’ in the fuel type drop-down menu to find nearby electric charging points – however, in practice, this didn’t seem to work when we tested it.
Pros:
- Other features, such as the ability to plan a trip & calculate costs
Cons:
Inaccurate information at times, not regularly updated, average interface
3 – My Automate 23/30
My Automate was a frontrunner for many at first, but on an average of all scores lands itself in third place. This app was the only app (that we reviewed) to show you your nearest charging port for electric cars!
Scoring honourably across all areas except speed, the app has many other functions, such finding your local car washes, garages and parking. The load speed unfortunately was noticeably slower than all our other apps, resulting in a slide to third place for this handy application.
Pros:
- Nearby amenities
- Easy to use
- Charge ports
Cons:
Slow load speed
2 – Fuel Genie 24/30
Scoring the second highest in our review of fuel finder apps is Fuel Genie. the highest scores were for useability. It’s simple to set up and easy to understand, and it doesn’t require any personal info or an account so as soon as installation is complete you can start using its functions.
The app speed was impressive, with nearby fuel stations displaying in a fraction of a second!
Pros:
- Speedy
- GPS within the app
- Easy to use
Con:
Will not show electric charge ports as this app is designed for fuel card users
1 – Waze 26/30
In first place is Waze, designed to be a journey-planning app, with fuel finding built in as an add-on. This fun, colourful app allows you to see not only local fuel stations, you can view road works, closed roads, temp traffic lights, speed the traffic is moving, speed cameras, other Waze users and much more. Its impressive loading speed and friendly interface scored some major points, which is probably why this app was most highly rated for its speed and GPS functions.
It was a close one with our 2nd place Fuel Genie when it came down to locating a fuel station, they both did the job very well! Waze loaded the prices and locations quickly and accurately, pair that with the overall glowing review of the app useability and you have your first-place winner – Enjoy ‘Wazing’.
Pros:
- Fast
- Fun
- Easy to use
Cons:
Information can be updated by any app users
We hope this has provided some insight and one of these trusty apps serves you well or perhaps – you know one of your own that you feel is worthy of the spotlight. If so, drop us a message, we’re always on the lookout for a useful tool!
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