Petrol prices drop 4c per litre

Oil companies today dropped their petrol prices by 4 cents per litre, but the price of diesel remained unchanged.

BP led the decrease across all grades of petrol, dropping the price of unleaded 91 to 177.9 cents per litre, and unleaded 95 to 184.9 cents per litre.

Shell, Mobil and Caltex followed suit.

There was no change to the price of diesel, which remained at 120.9 cents per litre.

A decrease in the international price of petrol was behind the drop, BP acting managing director Jonathan Wake said.

AA Petrolwatch spokesman Mike Noon said there was room for a small drop in the price of diesel but customers would be "extremely pleased" by the petrol drop. They should shop around today to make sure they were getting the lower price, he said.

He said the margins on petrol were "well above average" before the drop.

- NZPA