OTR and Woolworths join profiteering as price spike “inevitable”

ON The Run and Woolworths petrol stations have copied a push by Caltex to spike prices in Adelaide by 29 cents per litre.

ON The Run and Woolworths petrol stations have copied a push by Caltex to spike prices in Adelaide by 29 cents per litre.

Advertiser.com.au revealed this morning that five Caltex sites had started the profiteering despite wholesale prices having dropped by 2 cents per litre since early January.

RAA Senior Analyst Chris West said hopes that the push by Caltex would fail had been abandoned by lunchtime when nine On the Run stations and two Woolworths outlets had joined the campaign.

“It is only a matter of time now and people will need to look out for some slower independents for any price of 117 or lower, or majors in the areas that have an independent,’’ he said.

The RAA first noticed a co-ordinated attack on prices about 10.45am today, as five Caltex stations made sharp increases in unleaded petrol of around 29 cents per litre to 143.9 cents.

“It is an outrageous price because our cost prices have fallen since the last price spike,’’ Mr West said.

“This was attempted in the Sydney market but it failed, at least once and maybe twice.

“That is great, but here we only have four major decision-makers so if one other (provider) matches this outrageous price that has appeared it is all hell for leather.”

The Caltex stations involved in the price hike are at Gillman, Grange, Aberfoyle Park, Hutt St, and Wingfield.

“Our best advice is to stay away from those sites, because you will lose money.”