How Much You'd Save Working From Home (Fuel Crisis Calculator)

Most people dramatically underestimate what their daily commute actually costs. Fuel is the obvious expense, but it's just the beginning.

Take an average Australian commuter with a 40km round trip (roughly the national median). In a car using 10 litres per 100km at the current national average of $2.19/L, fuel alone costs $8.76 per day — or $43.80 per five-day week.

Now add the hidden costs:

• Parking: $10-30/day in CBD areas ($15 average in suburban office parks). That's $75-150/week in the city
• Tolls: $5-15/day for workers using CityLink (Melbourne), the M2/M5/M7 (Sydney), or Gateway Motorway (Brisbane)
• Vehicle wear and tear: The RAC estimates depreciation, tyres, and servicing add roughly 15-20 cents per kilometre, or $6-8/day on a 40km commute
• Food and coffee: The average office worker spends $15-25/day on bought lunch and coffee, compared to $5-8 eating at home

When you add it all up, the true daily cost of commuting to an office can easily reach $40-80 per day, or $10,000-20,000 per year. During a fuel crisis, these numbers only go up.

Every day you work from home, you avoid almost all of those commuting costs. Here's a breakdown of typical daily savings:

• Fuel: $8.76/day (40km round trip at $2.19/L) — more if you drive further or prices are higher in your area
• Parking: $10-30/day (metro) or $5-10/day (suburban)
• Tolls: $5-15/day if your route includes toll roads
• Food savings: $10-17/day (difference between buying lunch/coffee out vs eating at home)
• Wear and tear: $6-8/day in reduced vehicle depreciation and maintenance

For a typical metro worker, that's $30-60 saved per WFH day. Over a year, the impact is significant:

• 1 WFH day/week: $1,560-$3,120/year saved
• 2 WFH days/week: $3,120-$6,240/year saved
• 3 WFH days/week: $4,680-$9,360/year saved

To put that in perspective, 2 WFH days per week saves the equivalent of a $4,500-$9,000 pre-tax pay rise (since savings are tax-free). That's a meaningful improvement to your household budget — especially during a period when fuel, groceries, and mortgage payments are all elevated.

You do incur some additional costs working from home — electricity, internet, and heating/cooling. The ATO's fixed-rate WFH deduction of 67 cents per hour helps offset these, and for most people the net savings still heavily favour WFH.

Victoria is about to make history as the first Australian state to enshrine a right to work from home in law. From 1 September 2026, amendments to the Equal Opportunity Act will require businesses with 15 or more employees to allow eligible employees to work from home for at least two days per week, unless there are genuine operational reasons they cannot.

Key details of the new law:

• Applies to businesses with 15 or more employees
• Covers roles where work can reasonably be performed remotely (office-based, knowledge work, administrative roles)
• Employers can refuse on genuine operational grounds but must provide written reasons
• Disputes can be taken to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT)
• Does not override existing enterprise agreement provisions that provide greater WFH rights

The Victorian Government has cited an average saving of $5,308 per year for workers who take up the two-day WFH arrangement — based on reduced fuel, parking, and food costs. With fuel prices where they are in March 2026, the actual savings are likely to be even higher.

While this law only applies in Victoria for now, it's expected to put pressure on other states to follow. The federal government has also flagged a review of the National Employment Standards to consider whether WFH rights should be added to the Fair Work Act. If you're in Victoria, this is a strong additional argument for your WFH request — even before the law takes effect, employers who are aware of it may be more willing to accommodate arrangements early.

Everyone's situation is different — your commute distance, fuel consumption, parking costs, and toll routes all affect the numbers. That's why we built the Fuel Crisis Calculator.

Enter your details and the calculator will show you:

• Your current weekly and annual commuting cost (fuel, parking, tolls)
• How much you'd save per WFH day based on your actual numbers
• Annual savings at 1, 2, or 3 WFH days per week
• The pre-crisis vs current cost comparison so you can see the fuel crisis impact

The calculator uses your real commute distance and local fuel prices rather than national averages, so the result is specific to your situation. Many users are finding savings of $4,000-$8,000 per year from just two WFH days — money that can go towards mortgage payments, savings, or simply easing the cost-of-living pressure.

If the numbers support it, use the calculator output as evidence when making your WFH request to your employer. Concrete dollar figures make a much stronger case than vague statements about fuel being expensive.