How much has petrol gone up in Australia in 2026?

Average unleaded petrol prices surged above $2.50/L nationally in 2026, with regional areas seeing $3+/L. On 1 April 2026, PM Albanese halved the fuel excise from 52.6c to 26.3c/L for 3 months, saving approximately $13–$18/week for the average commuter. Oil remains above $116/barrel due to the Iran crisis.

Can I request to work from home because of fuel prices?

Under section 65 of the Fair Work Act, certain employees can request flexible working arrangements — including working from home — but only if they fall into eligible categories (parents of school-age children, carers, people with disability, those 55+, or experiencing family violence). Rising fuel costs alone do not create an automatic right to WFH. However, Victoria’s new WFH law taking effect 1 September 2026 will give eligible employees in that state a stronger right to request remote work.

Can I claim fuel as a tax deduction?

Commuting between your home and regular workplace is generally not tax-deductible. However, you may be able to claim fuel costs if your home is your base of employment, you carry bulky tools that cannot be stored at work, or you are an itinerant worker travelling between multiple workplaces. The ATO allows two methods for car expenses: the cents per kilometre method (88c/km for 2025–26, up to 5,000 km) or the logbook method for actual expenses. Keep records and consult a tax professional for your specific situation.

What is the fuel excise cut in 2026?

On 1 April 2026, the Australian Government halved the fuel excise from 52.6 cents to 26.3 cents per litre for 3 months (April–June 2026). This is part of a $2.55 billion fuel crisis package announced by PM Albanese. The cut applies to petrol, diesel, and all road fuels. The heavy vehicle road user charge has also been zeroed for the same period. Australia is at Stage 2 of the 4-stage National Fuel Security Plan.

Fuel Crisis Calculator

Fuel excise halved to 26.3c/L from 1 April 2026. Calculate your excise cut savings, see how much the crisis is still costing you, or work out how much you'd save working from home.

Last verified: 21 May 2026

Embed this calculator on your site — free

One line of HTML. Auto-updates with the latest Australian rates. Click to copy the code.

Show code →

Copy & paste into any HR blog, payroll docs, intranet, or CMS.

<iframe
  src="https://fairworkmate.com.au/embed/fuel-crisis?partner=YOUR_NAME"
  width="100%"
  height="700"
  frameborder="0"
  loading="lazy"
  title="Fuel Crisis Calculator by FairWork Mate"
  style="border:1px solid #e2e8f0;border-radius:8px;max-width:680px;"
></iframe>

See all 146 embeddable tools →Preview the embed →Replace YOUR_NAME with your site identifier for attribution (optional).

Get notified when rates change

Free alerts when minimum wage, award rates, or workplace laws are updated.

Free forever. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

FairWork Mate is an independent commercial service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with the Fair Work Ombudsman, the Fair Work Commission, or any Australian Government agency. Content is general information and estimates only — not legal, financial, or tax advice. Always verify with the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) or a qualified professional.

Recommended partners

Free tools surface the issue. Our partners help you solve it.

Authorised Employment Hero Partner

Employment Hero

Australian HR, payroll, rostering and award interpretation in one platform. Used by 300,000+ businesses. Fixes the underlying payroll/compliance issues our calculators surface.

Best for: SMEs that have outgrown spreadsheet payroll or want automated award interpretation.

See Employment Hero

Law Tram — lawyer matching

Law Tram

Matched with the right Australian lawyer for your situation — unfair dismissal, underpayment, workplace injury, debt, tenancy and more. Many lawyers offer a free first consult and no-win-no-fee arrangements.

Best for: anyone whose workplace or personal legal issue needs proper advice, not just a calculator.

Find a lawyer

IT, Microsoft & cyber partner

Frontrow Tech

Microsoft 365, Copilot rollouts, Essential Eight, Privacy Act 2026 and board-level cyber compliance for Australian SMBs. Where pay and HR end, your data and IT obligations begin.

Best for: SMBs running on Microsoft 365, anyone hitting cyber/privacy compliance, boards wanting an outside read on IT risk.

See Frontrow

Affiliate partners — commissions fund the free tools on this site. We only recommend partners we've vetted as a good fit for Australian workplaces.

Fuel Crisis Calculator

Related Tools

Recommended partners

Employment Hero

Law Tram

Frontrow Tech