Unleaded petrol prices in Maitland have jumped by as much as 25c/l in a day.
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The price of unleaded petrol hit the lowest point in almost a decade in Maitland recently, with the region topping the NRMA’s weekly price watch list two weeks in a row.
But prices jumped from about 95c/l to around 120c/l at most Maitland petrol stations on the weekend.
It’s grim news for Maitland motorists ahead of the Easter long-weekend.
NRMA president Kyle Loades said the increase in world oil prices had made their mark on the cost of petrol in Maitland in recent days.
“That it’s happening in the lead-up to Easter is a particularly bitter pill,” Mr Loades said.
“But just as Maitland is now subject to the same increased average as Sydney, we would expect to see it experience the same decrease after the holiday.
“The concentration of retailers in Maitland means local motorists should always expect competitive pricing.”
The average price of unleaded fuel in Maitland on Sunday was 124.5c/l, compared with 112.9c/l in Newcastle and 115.9c/l in Singleton.
The state’s cheapest average was Nowra, at 99.3c/l, while the most expensive was Gundagai, at 135.9c/l.
Mr Loades told the Mercury last week that a price rise was on the horizon because Maitland service station operators had been in such fierce competition that they had been selling unleaded fuel for about 7c/l below the wholesale cost price.
He said that practice wasn’t sustainable.
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