A family of five could save $250 a week by making small adjustments to driving, supermarket shopping and power usage.

Soaring petrol prices were a key factor behind a 0.8 per cent rise in the consumers' price index (CPI) in the March quarter.

The pressure on ruling powers to hand out more goodies to the people will ultimately have to be paid for.

Supermarket chain says rising oil prices particularly affect suppliers who package goods in plastic.

In the high-stakes game of oil exploration New Zealand is frontier country.

Higher fuel prices are likely to mean lower profit margins and lower real wages.

Air New Zealand is to increase fares for all flights from March 18 because of rising fuel costs.

Air New Zealand has announced it is upping its domestic and international air fares due to the rising cost of jet fuel, following a similar move by Qantas this morning.

Qantas has announced that its international fuel surcharges will increase again next week.

Petrol prices have risen sharply overnight, nearing record highs.

Motorists face more increases in the price of petrol, which is likely to reach a new high, the Automobile Association is warning.

Petrol and diesel prices are on the up - but not in Christchurch.

The economy will now barely grow at all in 2011, because of a "noxious mix" of spiking global petrol and food prices along with the impact of the second Christchurch earthquake, says NZIER.

Petrol prices are on the rise again, hitting their highest level for more than two years. A litre of 91 octane petrol rose 3c to $2.02 and 95 octane rose to $2.11.

There is an extraordinary disconnect between what the experts write about oil prices, and what is likely to happen in the real world.