'DRIVE THE PRICES DOWN': TIPS TO GET THE CHEAPEST PETROL AS REGIONAL FUEL TAX LIFTS

Buying petrol in Aotearoa's biggest city should cost around $6 less per tank than it did yesterday - that is, if your car holds 50 litres and you're buying 91.

Auckland's regional fuel tax scheme was lifted overnight on Sunday, saving companies around 11.5 cents a litre.

But as Newshub found out, one company had a very different strategy when it came to passing that saving on.

There's cheaper, and then there's the cheapest - and Costco in Auckland's north-west takes that title.

The membership-only retailer has the cheapest fuel in the city by quite a long way. On Monday, it was $2.39 a litre for 91 - about 20 to 30 cents a litre cheaper than its nearby competitors in the area.

But curiously, the price on Mondaywas the exact same as it was on Sunday - before the regional fuel tax was lifted overnight. 

"Costco got in over the weekend when people were more available, and they scooped up some of those sales," said Terry Collins, AA's principal policy adviser.

Most companies had a more direct strategy.   

Newshub compared prices at 20 other stations around Auckland on Sunday, June 30 and Monday, July 1: for 91, all those monitored dropped their price by around 12 cents a litre.  

At BP Connect Larnoch, the price of 91 dropped from $2.74 on Sunday to $2.62 on Monday. At Mobil Greenlane, the price also decreased - down to $2.74 on Monday from $2.86 on Sunday.  

At Pak'nSave Mount Albert, there was another overnight decrease to $2.63, down from $2.75. 

Before Monday, the cheapest places in the country to buy fuel were Tauranga and Hamilton, with Auckland coming in third. That could now change if companies decide to hold today’s discount, even after the publicity dies down.

"Regardless of the tax, look around for the cheapest - it's doing everyone a favour. If we all do it, we're going to drive the prices down," Collins told Newshub. 

Prices still vary by 50 cents a litre across the city, so here's a few tips to get the best deal.

Firstly, look up the cheapest spot in your area on the Gaspy app - it runs nationwide. Secondly, if you can forgo that coffee or bathroom break, look for the cheaper forecourt-only operations.   

2024-07-01T06:49:40Z dg43tfdfdgfd