If you’re feeling the pinch at the petrol pump it’s well worth shopping around, according to NZ’s competition watchdog.

The Commerce Commission’s most recent Quarterly Fuel Monitoring Report shows some hefty differences in petrol prices, even within the same area. For instance, Regular 91 varies by as much as 38c in Auckland, meaning that someone filling an average 60 litre tank could save around $20 (although this doesn’t reflect the distance you might have to travel between stations, of course).

In Auckland, Herne Bay and Orakei had the most expensive Regular 91, and Mangere East the least. In Wellington, motorists filling up in Karori were paying the highest prices and those in Stokes Valley, the least.  

The difference in prices between the most and least expensive sites, on the same day, within the same city, increased in each of the five largest cities in New Zealand between the September 2022 quarter and the quarter ending December 2022.

Commission Chair, Dr John Small, says this highlights the significant spread of prices even between neighbouring suburbs and shows some retailers are charging significantly more than others for the same product.

“Kiwi motorists can make significant savings by supporting stations offering lower prices and this is a win-win for consumers and for those retailers offering the lowest prices – and these savings can be had by motorists simply shopping at the station round the corner from their usual."

“If consumers actively shop around, they’ll put pressure on suppliers to offer lower fuel prices,” Dr Small says.

Petrol prices have eased over the last year or so, after spiking amid challenging pandemic-related supply constraints and global political strife driving oil prices higher.