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Petrol and diesel prices soared 5c a litre at BP pumps yesterday, leaving the other oil companies to review their charges this morning.
BP raised its 91-octane petrol to 193.9c a litre and its "boutique" 98-octane fuel to a supercharged 207.9c.
Its diesel price rose to 161.9c before Government road-user charges.
The other three main oil companies had not moved by last night, but industry minnow Gull Petroleum said it would not be surprised if they followed BP today.
Gull general manager Dave Bodger said he had to lift his prices 2c a litre yesterday morning to match those of the big players - 188.9c for 91-octane and 156.9c for diesel.
His company's biofuel-blended 98-octane petrol now costs 198.9c.
Mr Bodger noted the New Zealand dollar's fall in value yesterday to a three-month low of US76.52c made it more expensive to import refined fuel.
The increases came as a survey showed that nearly one in five New Zealanders wouldn't change their driving habits even if petrol went above $5 a litre.
But for a quarter of New Zealanders, petrol prices breaking the $2-a-litre barrier will trigger a significant cut in fuel use, and if 91 octane goes on to reach $3 a litre, 68 per cent would make significant cutbacks.
The results come from a ShapeNZ poll, released by the Business Council for Sustainable Development.
It showed New Zealanders were bracing for fuel price rises over the next two years, with 91 per cent expecting them to go up. Just 4 per cent say they will stay the same and 3 per cent expect them to fall.
Some were already feeling the pinch, with 21 per cent saying a price of between $1.40 and $1.90 a litre was enough for them to reduce fuel use.
The $2 mark was the tipping point for 23 per cent and 51 per cent said $2.20 was where they would be affected enough to change their behaviour.
For 19 per cent, price would not matter, even if it hit $5 a litre.
But it is unclear what steps people will take to cut fuel use - 62 per cent said they had no public transport alternative for the journey they made most often.
Automobile Association spokesman Mark Stockdale said as prices rose people would look at "intelligent use" of their vehicles.
The ShapeNZ survey showed 49 per cent of people mainly used vehicles consuming 10 litres of fuel per 100km.
Mr Stockdale said it was also possible more service stations would shift to systems such as "prepay", if the high prices led to more petrol thefts.
That could affect elderly and disabled motorists.
