The average petrol price in Australia has surged yet again and drivers are now paying the highest prices on record for fuel.
The cost per litre across the country has reached $2.19 for unleaded, according to the Australian Institute of Petroleum, and $2.60 for diesel. Some retailers are charging far more, with consumer watchdog the ACCC investigating more than 500 complaints.
The average price for petrol in Australia has seen a spike of 20 per cent since the US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on February 28, killing its Supreme Leader and triggering a regional war.
The ongoing conflict led to Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which around 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply travels. Australia imports 90 per cent of its refined fuel mostly from Asia, but these countries get much of their crude oil from the Middle East.
The Albanese government insists that there is not a fuel shortage, despite six bulk tankers from Asia calling off their shipments to Australia, and Energy Minister Chris Bowen admitting ‘the flow of oil to Asian refineries has slowed’.
The government also shot down talk of any WFH mandates after the International Energy Agency suggested working from home or driving slower to conserve fuel.
More Aussies could soon turn to public transport as a way to cope with the higher cost. The main transport workers’ union in NSW, the Rail Tram and Bus Union, is pushing for public transit to be made free until the fuel crisis is resolved.
With the price jump straining already tight budgets of Aussie households, motorists are looking for cheaper fuel wherever they can get it. Here’s where you’ll have the most luck in your city, according to crowd-sourced fuel prices.
This graph shows the average petrol price in Sydney over the last two months
Australians’ budgets are feeling the strain from massive fuel price hikes
In Melbourne petrol prices have also surged to the highest on record
Sydney
The cheapest 91 Unleaded in inner-Sydney on Sunday night was at U-Go Rozelle at 233.9c per litre.
Rozelle also tied with Annandale as the home for the second, third and fourth cheapest unleaded for 237.9c per litre at 7-Eleven and Metro in Rozelle and Reddy Express in Annandale.
The best diesel price was also in Rozelle at 285.9c per litre at 7-Eleven and U-Go Rozelle.
Next was Ampol Woolworths Alexandria at 288.9c per litre.
Melbourne
The best price for Unleaded 91 was 237.2c per litre at Shell Yarraville followed by 239.7c per litre at Liberty North Melbourne.
Diesel was cheaper than in Sydney with the cheapest being 275.9c per litre at Metro Showgrounds and second going to Shell Yarraville at 284.5c per litre.
BP Footscray and BP Whitehall were tied for the third-best diesel price at 286.9c per litre.
The cost for a litre of fuel has surpassed $2.20 for unleaded and $2.60 for diesel since conflict broke out in the Middle East
Brisbane has seen a similar trend with prices spiking in recent weeks
Brisbane
Brisbane’s cheapest Unleaded 91 was at NightOwl Shell Kelvin Grove at 236.9c per litre, followed by 237.5c per litre at Liberty Annerley and 238.9 at Quill Petroleum Hawthorne.
The best price for diesel on Sunday night was at Qull Petroleum Hawthorne at 287.5c per litre, closely beating 7-Eleven Greenslopes at 287.9c per litre.
The third cheapest diesel was 2c per litre more expensive at 289.5 at Liberty Annerley.
Perth
Perth’s Unleaded 91 was more expensive than that available on the east coast.
Its cheapest location was at the Burk Mount Lawley at 239.3c per litre, followed by 239.9c per litre at several Ampol locations.
Diesel started at 287.9c per litre at Ampol Mt Lawley and the second-best price was 289.3 at Burk Mount Lawley.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen admitted the flow of oil to Asian refineries has slowed but insisted there is not a fuel shortage in Australia
Adelaide saw a dramatic jump after February 28 when the US attacked Iran
Motorists have been searching where to get the cheapest fuel in their city
Perth has obvious petrol price cycles but that was blown out of the water in March
Adelaide
Four servos tied for the cheapest Unleaded 91 in Adelaide at 239.9c per litre – United Adelaide Airport, United Richmond South, Ampol Cumberland Park and U-Go West Hindmarsh.
U-Go Hindmarsh also claimed the cheapest diesel at 286.9c per litre.
The second-best price was 6c more per litre at 292.9c per litre at Silver’s Auto Centre.
Hobart
The cheapest Unleaded 91 in Hobart on Sunday night was at U-Go Lindisfarne at 239.9c per litre.
That was followed by Ampol Hobart at 243.7c per litre and United Hobart North and BP Brooker at 245.9c per litre.
The best price for diesel was 289.9c per litre at United Selfs Point Ufill, followed by 290.9 at U-Go Lindisfarne.
Authorities warned panic buying was only making prices worse
Canberra
Five service stations tied for the best Unleaded 91 price in Canberra on Thursday night at 239.9c per litre.
Those were Reddy Express Deakin, 7-Eleven Braddon, Reddy Express Braddon, Reddy Express Dickson and Ampol Canberra Airport Pialligo.
Costco Canberra Airport Majura Park had the best diesel price at 288.7c per litre, followed by Reddy Express Deakin at 294.9c per litre.
Darwin
Darwin’s cheapest Unleaded 91 price was recorded at four servos at 245.5c per litre – FuelXpress Winnellie, United Parap, BP Winnellie and United Winnellie Roadhouse.
The best price for diesel was 285.5c per litre at FuelXpress Winnellie, followed by 289.9c per litre at United Parap and BP Winnellie.
Australian fuel prices are especially vulnerable to price hikes as the country only has two of its own refineries
What’s causing the price hike?
Deakin Law School energy policy expert Professor Samantha Hepburn earlier told Daily Mail Australia is particularly vulnerable to fuel shortages as the country only has two oil refineries.
Retired Royal Australian Air Force vice-marshal John Blackburn also predicted Australians would have to ‘adjust fuel consumption’ and implement a ‘type of rationing’.
‘I had people in the Department of Energy tell me 10 years ago they didn’t care if we didn’t have any refineries because it was cheaper to import refined fuel,’ he said.
‘I did somewhat sarcastically ask that individual, ”were they an economist?” and I tried to explain the difference between ”just in time” and ”just in case”, because there was no concept of fuel security. The assumptions were huge.’
He implored politicians to explain the reality of the global market to the Australian public and highlight that the country imports 90 per cent of its fuel.
Professor Blackburn added recent panic buying ‘had only made things worse’ because ‘our fuel system wasn’t built for huge demand shocks like that’.
‘The reason we’re running into problems is that people seeing what’s happening in the Middle East are running around trying to buy extra stocks in case of interruption,’ Mr Blackburn said.
‘In some areas, [there’s been] about a 35 to 40 per cent increase in demand. Our system is not designed to do that.
‘It’s not a problem with the supply coming into the country at the moment or the processing – it’s our behaviour that’s causing the system itself to break down.
‘We’ve got to stop panic buying.’
