The average price of unleaded petrol was 101.7c/l at the close of business last Tuesday – about nine cents lower than the Newcastle average and a huge 18c/l less than Sydney.

Several service stations were selling the E10 fuel for 98.9c/l in Maitland on Wednesday and Thursday, while ­service stations in Newcastle had prices up around the 110c/l mark.

“Maitland is well-served by intense competition on the main strip,” NRMA president Kyle Loades said. 

“It’s becoming the model for all major regional towns.

“Obviously, Newcastle is subject to a far broader price range and many times more stations. 

“Still, there is petrol to be had in Newcastle for a little over $1 a litre. As ever, motorists need to shop around.”

Mr Loades said the weekly quest for the best pump price would be made simpler if, as expected, NSW Minister for Better Regulation Victor Dominello passed fuel monitoring ­legislation through Parliament later this year.

Mr Loades said this would force all service stations to display their prices in real time online.

“The NRMA has fully supported this game-changing measure,” he said. 

“It will give motorists real-time information about the latest pricing as and when prices change.”

The continuing falling prices came after Maitland ranked second place on the list of the state’s cheapest average unleaded petrol price last week, with a price of 104.1c/l – three cents behind Sydney and seven cents ahead of Newcastle.

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Maitland and the surrounding area was included as part of the Newcastle category in the NRMA’s weekly petrol price rankings until last August, when the Mercury asked if Maitland could have a category of its own to create a more localised ­picture of fuel prices in the Lower Hunter.

The move came after frequent reports that petrol in Maitland was consistently more expensive than it was in Newcastle.

But Maitland has repeatedly recorded average prices inside the top 10 of the list of 54 locations across the state since it was given its own category.

Don Weekes might live in Karuah, but he was one of many who jumped at the chance to take advantage of Maitland’s low petrol prices.

The pensioner filled up with E10 unleaded at the United service station in Maitland on Thursday, where the fuel was being sold for 99.7c/l.

Mr Weekes said he made the regular trip to Maitland to do his grocery shopping, but decided to fill his car with fuel when he saw that petrol was about 10c/l cheaper here than it was in his home town.

“We’ve come down to do some shopping because it’s pension day . We’ve done it for a long time,” he said.

“I’ve never worked it out [the dollar value saving] but I notice it when there’s a difference of five to 10c/l.”