Running low and not sure which station to trust? Here's how to find fuel that's genuinely available near you, not just a pin on a map.
Start with your location, not a brand
The fastest way to find fuel is to let the map see where you are. On the live map, tap Use my location and the map loads real stations around you, pulled from OpenStreetMap. Rather than driving to your usual brand and hoping, you get every option within reach — including ones you'd never think to check.
Filter down to what you actually need
Not every station sells what your vehicle takes. Use the filters to narrow the map to petrol, diesel, LPG, CNG or EV charging before you go any further. If you only care about places that are usable right now, switch on Open now only and Fuel available only so closed or reportedly-empty stations drop off the list.
Read the freshness, not just the status
A status is only as good as its timestamp. Every report on Refuelia carries a "last updated" time. A station confirmed as having fuel four minutes ago by three drivers is a very different bet than one last touched six hours ago. Bright, recent, multiply-confirmed reports are the ones to trust; faded, old, single reports deserve a backup plan.
Rule of thumb: during a local shortage or a holiday rush, treat anything older than an hour as "worth a call ahead," and always have a second station queued up nearby.
Sort by what matters for this trip
Once you have a shortlist, sort it. Nearest is the default, but Recently updated surfaces the stations with the freshest driver reports, and Cheapest nearby puts price first when you have a little range to spare. On a tight tank, nearest-and-confirmed wins; with a quarter tank, it's often worth a few extra minutes for a cheaper or busier-but-cheaper option.
Confirm it for the next driver
When you arrive, take two seconds to confirm what you found — fuel in stock, queue length, or "reported empty" if the pumps are dry. That single tap is what keeps the map honest for the person behind you, and it's why crowd-checked data beats a static directory.
Ready to use it? Open the live map to find real stations and chargers near you, check their current status, and add what you see for the next driver.