Wellingtonians are paying more at the petrol pump than the rest of the country, while in other cities the price varies significantly.
The Commerce Commission’s second quarterly report on the performance of New Zealand’s $10 billion fuel market was released on Thursday and put the spotlight on the capital. Prices in Wellington, Porirua and Lower Hutt were the highest across Regular 91, Premium and Diesel.
The Quarterly Fuel Monitoring Report for the three months ended September 30, 2022, showed Christchurch and Tauranga had the lowest average fuel prices – with motorists in Christchurch getting the best deal for petrol, and Tauranga for diesel.
Commission chair Dr John Small said there continued to be significant variations in prices between the main cities in New Zealand, and within the cities themselves.
Auckland had the largest price variation between its most expensive and least expensive site. Prices varied by 22 cents per litre for 91, 29 cents for 95 and 98, and 31 cents for diesel.
The commission’s calculation for average consumers in Auckland showed they could save up to $264 on 91 in a year, or up to $348 on premium petrol if they actively compared prices between their nearby stations.
The global and domestic fuel markets still continued to be volatile within the quarter, with prices falling from their June 2022 peak.
Margins increased – by 61.9% for diesel and 63.6% for 91.
