Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com
New Zealand motorists are once again feeling the pain at the petrol pump, with fuel prices soaring by around 30 cents a litre since the start of September and no immediate relief in sight.
According to fuel price monitoring app Gaspy, the latest increase has come on top of already elevated prices driven by ongoing instability in the Middle East. Gaspy spokesperson Mike Newton said fuel costs have been climbing sharply since early September, with diesel experiencing even steeper increases than petrol.
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“We’ve seen about a 30-cent jump across most fuel types since the start of the month, and diesel has risen even more,” Newton said. “That’s roughly a 10 percent increase on prices that were already high.”
Before the conflict involving Iran escalated, the national average price for 91-octane petrol sat at just over $2.55 per litre. It is now averaging $3.28, representing an increase of more than 70 cents a litre.
Newton noted that prices had never fully recovered from the earlier spikes triggered by unrest in the region.
“We weren’t anywhere near the levels we saw before all this began,” he said.
The continuing volatility in global oil markets is largely being driven by disruptions to critical shipping routes in the Middle East. Brent crude oil remains above US$100 a barrel, compared with around US$70 before the conflict intensified.
Key transport corridors, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait near the Red Sea, have faced ongoing threats and disruptions. Recent attacks claimed by Iran-backed Houthi forces against targets in Saudi Arabia have added further uncertainty to international energy markets.
While there are tentative signs that crude oil prices may be beginning to stabilise, Newton said motorists should not expect immediate relief.
“Fuel prices are still on a steep upward trajectory,” he said. “The situation is changing constantly, and predicting what happens next is extremely difficult.”
For drivers looking to soften the blow, Newton recommends keeping an eye on supermarket and fuel-company discount days, as competing service stations often respond by lowering prices as well.
With petrol now averaging more than $3.28 a litre nationwide, savvy shopping may be one of the few tools motorists have left to reduce the cost of filling up.
