Kiwis are racing to the pumps before a price jump of around 29 cents on Saturday.
Video / NZ Herald / Cameron Pitney / Dean Purcell / Getty
New data has revealed the cheapest and most expensive fuel across the country ahead of the return of the petrol excise duty.
Tomorrow the price per litre will increase by around 29 cents, including GST, when Government subsidies on excise duty and road user charges.
The subsidies were introduced last March after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine lead to a spike in fuel prices and New Zealanders struggled with increase cost-of-living pressures.
Herald calculations estimate the return of the petrol excise duty will increase the price of a 60L tank of petrol by around $17.25.
According to data from fuel price app Gaspy, the price per litre for 91 fuel in New Zealand today ranges from $2.08 to $3.62. The cheapest 91 is in Hastings and the most expensive is at Great Barrier Island.
In Auckland, the gas station at Costco Westgate is offering the lowest price per litre ($2.15), but a Costco membership is required, which costs $60 a year. People have been queuing in their vehicles at the Costco pumps, with up to 40 cars lined up and forming a queue down the road.
One motorist was spotted filling up large plastic containers with the cheaper fuel last night before the fuel tax discount ends at midnight tonight.
Today, streets surrounding the supermarket were clogged with vehicles. The queue stretched through neighbouring roads and near the Northwestern Motorway off-ramp.
Traffic has become so bad Auckland Transport this afternoon diverted a number of bus routes away from the congestion and advised passengers there would be six stops missed.
Gas stations in Henderson Valley, Epsom and Lincoln also have some of the cheapest fuel in the Super City today at around $2.28 per litre.
Data for gas stations in some of the regions show prices as low as $2.12 per litre in Tauranga and as high as $2.46 in Wellington.
Yesterday, Simon Bradwell of the Motor Trade Association urged motorists facing queues at gas stations to be kind to staff.
Terry Collins from the AA said the upcoming price increases would not be as severe as a year ago when prices reached an all-time high, surpassing $3 per litre for 91.
“Few people will be happy about fuel prices going up, but international oil prices aren’t currently at the highs they were when the tax discount was introduced so the impact will be lower,” he said.
Long queues have formed for Costco petrol ahead of tonight's reinstatement of the tax discount. Photo / Michael Craig
A Government spokesperson said the temporary removal of fuel excise was designed to support New Zealanders through the global energy crisis last year, which saw petrol prices spike above $3 a litre.
“Petrol prices are now 70 cents per litre lower than they were in early March last year when fuel excise was removed.
“Other countries that also removed fuel excise at that time like Australia, Ireland, and Germany have already reinstated their fuel taxes as the global price of fuel has eased.”
