Looking for cheap before the petrol tax kicks in tomorrow, drivers wait for petrol at the Gull Petrol Station on Titirangi Road in Titirangi. Credit: Brett Phibbs
Auckland's fuel tax appears to be kicking in as petrol prices begin to hike.
Downtown motorists have been among the first to feel the hit with the BP on Fanshawe St raising its Regular 91 price from $2.18 yesterday to $2.30 today, according to cheap-fuel-finding app Gaspy.
Prices at fellow inner-city stations, Mobil on Karangahape Rd and BP 2go on Jervois Rd, are also among Auckland's most expensive, with Regular 91 selling for $2.33.
At the airport, Regular 91 is going for $2.33 at the Z stations on George Bolt Memorial Dr and Tom Pearce Dr.
Auckland's most expensive outlet is Z at Riverhead, with Regular 91 selling at $2.36, according to Gaspy.
Yet, despite its introduction, motorists shopping around can still find a better deal.
Gull Titirangi petrol station was next best, selling Regular 91 for $1.99 and diesel for $1.28 - the same as yesterday.
Gull stations elsewhere around the city also appear to have the best prices.
Gull Birkenhead was offering the cheapest prices in the north at $2.02, while Gull Te Irirangi was the best in the east and Gull Onehunga the best in the south with prices of $2.03 and $2.05, respectively.
Motorists queue up for petrol yesterday ahead of Auckland fuel levy kicking in. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Early this morning - in an apparent glitch on the Gaspy app - the BP 2go on Jervois Rd appeared to be selling the city's cheapest Regular 91 fuel at $1.96.
However, a staff member confirmed that price was not accurate, with Gaspy now listing the outlet at selling Regular 91 at $2.30.
He said the station had a quiet Sunday morning.
"On Sunday we normally have a quiet day, so I don't know if it is a matter of whether the fuel levy is affecting our day, but I think it will," he said.
As at petrol stations across the city, the Jervois Rd BP 2go had a busier Friday and Saturday than normal.
"It was busy yesterday around evening time, with people knowing that fuel prices will hike up," the staff member said.
The Mobil service station on Sandringham Rd was another to report a quiet morning at the bowsers today after yesterday telling the Herald it had been hit by a rush of queuing customers wanting to fill up.
A staff member at the station, however, said Sunday's were normally quiet.
Ahead of the levy, supermarkets in Auckland had also been offering customers big savings on petrol.
Countdown sent out a promotional email to customers yesterday afternoon offering about a 45c per litre discount on fuel when customers spend $200 at any of its Auckland stores.
The promotion started at 1pm yesterday and runs until midnight tonight. The discount applies to a maximum of 50L of fuel.
Pak'nSave stores in the Auckland area are also offering customers 45 cents off fuel with a $200 spend.
Meanwhile, New World, which is also owned by Pak'nSave owner Foodstuffs, is offering customers a 35 cent per litre discount by spending $150 instore.
The offer is also available instore until midnight today.
Pak'nSave's Albany and Botany stores were the cheapest supermarket-led outlets early this morning, with prices of $2.04 and $2.06 respectively.
Elsewhere, prices at the Pak'nSave on Lincoln Road in Henderson appeared to have jumped from $2.09 yesterday to $2.21 this morning, according to Gaspy.
