FUEL IN AUSTRALIA.

FUEL MONITORING

Fuel is one of the most costly elements of any business running vehicles. Fuel management systems can greatly reduce these costs by reducing miles driven unnecessarily and improving route selection. This is achieved by comparing data about planned versus actual activity, utilising real-time information to avoid traffic and delays, thereby reducing unplanned detours.

GPS tracking is a useful tool in fuel consumption monitoring and almost everything monitored by GPS vehicle tracking can work as a fuel efficiency monitor to help reduce overall fuel consumption. Insight into routing, average speeds, idling and unauthorised vehicle usage can be used as a fuel economy tool to reduce the amount of fuel your fleet requires.

WHG fleet management systems can be configured to provide users with information about the details of their fuel use, including:

• Real-time information on engine fuel tank levels
• Temperature
• Overviews of engine fuel rates
• Fuel consumption and fuel economy, as well as
• Functioning as a fuel theft control system

A range of reports analysing this data can be generated to help users to understand their business’s fuel usage and identify areas in which adjustments could be made to reduce consumption. This functionality is called the FTC Hub and, in Australia, it acts as a fuel tax calculator.

FUEL TAX CREDIT

The fuel tax in Australia is levied on all fuel purchases – it is included in the price you pay at the pump. There are, however, certain instances in which you would be entitled to claim that fuel tax back. The exact fuel tax credit you are entitled to depends on a few things including when you purchased the fuel, what kind of fuel it is, and where that fuel is used, more specifically, if it was used on private roads which include parking areas, distribution centres, and depots.

You would also be entitled to a fuel tax rebate if the vehicle is, for example, running to power auxiliary equipment and therefore is stationary on a construction site. The FTC Hub is able to record idle hours by the amount of time that the vehicle spends idling (ignition on, no movement for five seconds or more) and the location in which this idling occurs. This information can also be used as a step in the apportionment of fuel for such uses ensuring that you submit accurate data for your fuel claim to the Australian Tax Office.

The WHG FTC Hub is a GPS technology-based reporting tool that records and stores GPS data which then provides measurements and allows customers to apportion kilometers travelled in vehicles and hours used for auxiliary equipment. This information can be used to generate a report for fuel tax credit purposes.

THE ROLE OF GPS

A GPS Data report is generated from the data pertaining to each vehicle. The distance travelled by the vehicle is recorded according to GPS satellite data using the vehicle’s latitude and longitude generated on a second-by-second basis. This information can be used to determine the number of kilometers travelled by the vehicle and the location of that travel, and then subsequently used in determining the apportionment of fuel at various locations and how much that amounts to in fuel tax credits. The credit differs for different activities in which the fuel is used, so the fuel used in a specific vehicle could need to be apportioned to different fuel tax credit rates.

A GPS tracking device is fitted to the vehicle and it is used to generate the data required for the FTC Hub. The user interface provides real-time location event data via mapping software and tabular event data, configuration utilities, reporting and alerting capabilities. As soon as the system is switched on at installation, it starts recording data for each linked GPS device. Once the system set-up is complete the data will be allocated to relevant vehicles and equipment based on the information uploaded to the system in the set-up data file.

Data will be collected and recorded continuously from this point onwards. The vehicle’s position is provided by satellite to the device and the data is transmitted by the tracking unit at the time it is generated. However, if it is out of range, this will be stored on board and transmitted when the tracking unit returns to telecommunications coverage.

GEOFENCES

The administrator can create geofences around specific locations to indicate that they are roads where a fuel tax credit would be required. Examples would be newly opened roads not yet reflected on maps of the Australian road system, or a road that is closed and undergoing construction and maintenance work for a set time period. All geofences can be set permanently or to only apply for a specified period. This allows users to set-up geofences in temporary circumstances such as the duration of a construction project which would then attract the fuel tax credit for that period.

Users with heavy vehicles, i.e a GVM exceeding 4.5 tonnes, may choose to connect the FTC Hub device to the flashing warning lights in these vehicles. This will allow the FTC Hub system to automatically measure and record the distance and time these vehicles are not travelling on a public road while operating on site and therefore qualify for the fuel tax credit and work out their fuel claim per kilometer onsite.

CLAIMING YOUR FUEL TAX CREDITS

Working out the fuel tax rebate can be a complicated process. At the end of each BAS period(let’s link this), information supporting the business’s fuel purchases must be compiled and then allocated to activities which all have different fuel tax credit rates. This is possible to do manually but it is time-consuming, complex, and heavily reliant on estimates or averages. especially when This is when the WHG FTC Hub really works for you, acting as a fuel tax credit calculator and providing accurate, real-time data for your tax submission.

THE WHG TELEMATICS SAVINGS CALCULATOR

 

Find out how much you could save on fuel, labour and fuel tax credits with a telematics solution in your business by using the WHG Telematics Savings Calculator.

To discuss your fleet requirements and get a free quote contact our team below.