Petrol could drop below $2 a litre just in time for summer road trips

Fuel set to be cheaper for Kiwis hitting the road for summer. Photo / Dean Purcell

Petrol prices could continue to fall in the coming months providing a welcome relief to motorists after the cost of gas hit a record high this year.

AA has welcomed the drop saying it couldn't come at a better time when more Kiwis traditionally hopped in their cars and heading away during the traditional summer holiday period.

In October this year there was public outcry after petrol prices for unleaded 91 hit $2.49 per litre prompting the Government to promise to rain down on the high fuel prices.

But in the past six weeks the price has continued to drop, now hovering around $2.10 per litre.

AA principal adviser Mark Stockdale said, although it was hard to predict, if it followed the same trend of previous years then it was possible that the price could fall below $2 during the summer months.

"The cycle that we've seen means the commodity prices are lower during our summer and higher during our winter and that's kind of what we are now seeing."

In the past New Zealanders had enjoyed lower fuel prices with some as low as $1.80 per litre for 91 during the Christmas break before prices gradually climbed to around $2.20 during winter.

"If that trend is typical and it has been over the past few years then yes the signs are that prices will continue to stay down through the summer period and may even fall just in time for our busy holiday driving season. So that's the trend we've seen and that appears to be playing out as we speak."

He said the price drop couldn't have come at a better time.

"Low low fuel prices couldn't come at a better time than when a lot of Kiwis are going to be out on the road over the Christmas New Year break on their summer holidays. I mean that's when people are buying more fuel and they are going on long trips - that's when $2.50 would have been a disaster and it would have had a really negative impact on a lot of Kiwis' holiday plans."