Poll shows penny pinching prevalent as petrol prices soar

Petrol prices keep rising, and most people are keen to try and make their fuel budget go further a consumer survey shows.

Most of us are spending between $100 and $250 a week on petrol, and as prices rise the majority of motorists are keen on trying to make their money stretch a little further.

In a survey of more than 2300 Kiwis conducted by consumer research centre Canstar Blue, 59 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women said they would go to the service station where they could use a supermarket discount ticket or loyalty card.

Slightly less said they actively monitored fuel prices (54 per cent of men and 45 per cent of women) and nearly three quarters of all respondents said they'd drive at least 5km to a service station selling cheaper petrol.

Baby boomers (those aged 60 and older) were the most likely age group to monitor fuel prices and use discount vouchers, with 55 per cent and 66 per cent saying they did each, respectively.

Even so, 57 per cent of both 18-39 year-olds and 40-59 year-olds said they went to petrol stations where they could use discount vouchers and 45 and 49 per cent respectively said they actively monitored fuel prices.

Canstar Blue's Emma Quantrill said fuel costs were a real concern for drivers.

"According to our survey, the majority of people are spending up to $249 per month on fuel but recent increases mean it doesn't buy as much gas as it did this time last year.

"For many people, there is no choice as to how often they use their car, for work, taking the kids to school, getting to medical appointments, etc."

Petrol was an extra pressure on motorist's budgets, she said.

A small fraction of respondents said they used public transport more now than a year ago, with the biggest jumps seen among Wellingtonians (19 per cent) and Aucklanders (16 per cent).

As petrol prices continue to climb, reaching as much as $2.45 per litre in the South Island, $2.51 on Waiheke and a whopping $3.11 on Great Barrier Island, it's possible price pressure could backfire for fuel companies, Consumer NZ boss Sue Chetwin said.

Fed-up motorists may simply opt for public transport, biking, or walking if filling the tank up became too expensive.

"Prices going up so strongly is not good from a consumer perspective, but it might encourage people to think differently about their transport," Chetwin said.