Petrol prices up 6c

Motorists will have to open their wallets a little wider as petrol prices increased by up to 6 cents per litre today.

BP and Shell garages in Wellington both reported increases in fuel prices while Mobil is expected to follow.

Caltex said it had not increased prices.

At one BP garage in Wellington the price of unleaded 91 rose from 142 cents per litre to 147.9 cents per litre.

The rising price of crude oil has been exacerbated by the recent fall of the New Zealand dollar against the US dollar.

A barrel of benchmark Dubai crude out of Singapore has risen to US$63.94 from US$61.57 on January 13 (3.8 per cent), but in New Zealand dollars, the price has risen from $89.24 from $97.62 (9.4 per cent) over the same period.

- NZPA