Drivers urged to shop around to beat expensive petrol prices this Easter long weekend

Petrol prices are high in one capital city ahead of the Easter long weekend, but there’s a hack to get the most bang for your buck.

Petrol prices are high in one city ahead of the Easter weekend. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Sydney drivers are being urged to shop around for fuel before heading out on road trips this Easter weekend.

The price of regular unleaded petrol has started to fall after reaching a peak of $2 per litre last week, according to the NRMA.

Sydney is the highest of all capital cities with an average price of 198c per litre, and prices are falling at the glacial rate of 1c per litre a day.

Shockingly, five other locations across NSW have higher prices.

NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said petrol prices in Sydney would continue to fall slowly throughout Easter and into the Anzac Day long weekend.

Petrol prices are high but beginning to fall around Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

“Sydney is living in petrol purgatory this year, with prices having fallen below the record highs of last year yet not nearly enough to deliver meaningful relief to families,” he said.

“As we have seen across the city this week with averages again breaching $2 per litre at the high point of the cycle.”

Meanwhile on the other side of the country, Perth residents are able to secure the cheapest petrol across the country.

The average price of unleaded petrol in the capital is 173.4c per litre.

NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury is urging drivers to shop around. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

Diesel prices across Australia remain “stubbornly high” despite the wholesale price now in line with regular unleaded at 176c per litre.

“Almost 40 per cent of Australia’s consumer fuel market is diesel, so it is totally unacceptable that these prices remain so high for so long,” Mr Khoury said.

The average price of diesel is selling at 18c above the wholesale price in Sydney, with drivers footing an average bill of 194.4 cents per litre.

The gap between the cheapest and most expensive service stations in Sydney is 47c per litre, so the NRMA is urging drivers to shop around before filling up.

Petrol prices across the country

The average prices for regular unleaded petrol in cents per litre across the country are:

Sydney

198.0c per litre

Trend: Falling slowly

Perth 

173.4c per litre

Trend: Cheapest today

Adelaide

186.8c per litre

Trend: Falling

Brisbane

178.8c per litre

Trend: Rising

Canberra

186.3c per litre

Trend: Stable

Darwin

179.1c per litre

Trend: Stable

Hobart

188.3c per litre

Trend: Stable

Melbourne

190.8c per litre

Trend: Rising