Fuel hits new high as oil and Aussie dollar diverge

Australians are paying greater than ever on the gasoline bowser as a weak Australian greenback collides with rising crude costs, new knowledge exhibits.

The common worth of 91 octane unleaded has soared to 217.92 cents per litre in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, based on Compare the Market knowledge, breaking the $2.17 document set final September.

Brisbane motorists have been paying the best common worth for his or her gasoline at $2.30 per litre, and as a lot as $2.35 per litre.

Melburnians have been paying round $2.25 for normal unleaded on Friday whereas in Sydney motorists have been taking a look at $2.13 a litre.

Perth had the bottom common worth of the 5 main capitals at $1.94 per litre.

Compare the Market’s Chris Ford mentioned there have been quite a few elements behind the spike, however motorists ought to maintain off from blaming retailers.

“Firstly, some wholesale prices have jumped from an average of $1.65/litre at the start of the year to $1.88/litre now – a 13.9 per cent hike,” he mentioned.

“The higher the wholesale price, the more retailers fork out for fuel and the more likely that these costs are passed onto motorists.”

Mr Ford mentioned a weaker Australian greenback relative to the dollar was additionally affecting costs on the pump, together with a stronger worth of crude.

“Oil prices are also climbing due to conflict in the Middle East,” he mentioned.

“Oil prices aren’t far behind the highs we saw last September, which could be why we’re now seeing those national average retail price records being smashed.”

Compare the Market believes gasoline costs ought to ease within the coming days.

“Adelaide operates in more regular fuel pricing cycles than cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, which means the city-wide average should start to drop in the coming days and bring down that national average,” Mr Ford mentioned.

“It’s a similar story in Perth, where the city-wide average has already dropped 21 cents since Wednesday.”

Source: www.perthnow.com.au