PetrolPrices is “quietly optimistic” it will win the contract for the government’s fuel-finding scheme after putting itself forward as a potential provider, The Grocer can reveal.
MD Andrew Watson explained that in the week following the proposals by the Competition & Markets Authority, the PetrolPrices app saw a 30% uptick in daily users to 80,000 a day, emphasising that “the infrastructure was there” and “it would make sense for us to take it on”.
Using data from Experian, Costco as well as the app’s users, PetrolPrices lists forecourts by price within a five-mile radius, which is generally updated every 24 hours.
“We’re interested in what the government is proposing because we know what we’re doing and we’ve been doing it a long time,” he added.
The government has set out to offer a scheme that will allow drivers to compare all forecourt prices in real time via third party platforms such as sat navs or map apps as well as a dedicated fuel finder app.
“It was kind of expected,” added Watson. “Given it has been so heavily trailed. It’s now about how long it will take, what form it take, and who will be involved. Our energy is concentrated on the next stage and how we can be involved.”
Watson explained since the app was bought by My Automate in 2021, it has been working on making the app “more stable and scalable”, while making the pricing data “more accurate and accessible”.
To be the provider for the government’s scheme, Watson explained the technology would need further development to provide real-time data and be accessible through satnavs and navigation apps, due to its current contract restrictions with the third party data providers.
However, Watson said PetrolPrices would be “perfectly capable and open to taking on that opportunity”.
“We consider ourselves the market leader with the most visible fuel price app,” he said. “And we’re confident we can do it competitively.”
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