If you’re filling up your petrol tank in the Illawarra’s northern suburbs, you’re probably paying much.
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However, if you live south of the Wollongong CBD, you’re getting bargain prices at the pump.
Drawing a line across the Illawarra at Coniston highlights a strong north-south divide when it comes to petrol prices.
According to the Fuel Check website, the cheapest price for regular unleaded in the region was south of the city at Kanahooka – just 129.9 cents per litre.
The most expensive? Well, that was up north at Thirroul and Helensburgh where a litre of unleaded cost 159.9 cents – a difference of 27 cents.
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More broadly, there was a stark price disparity between the northern and southern suburbs.
In the south, all but two of the 31 petrol station were charging under 140 cents a litre for unleaded; most sitting closer to 130 cents a litre.
From Coniston up to Helensburgh, just five of the 27 petrol stations were under that 140 cents per litre mark, while almost one-third were charging more than 150 cents.
With Wollongong’s average price for unleaded at 144 cents, NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said motorists should be heading south.
“They’re fantastic prices,” he said, “so I would definitely be filling up there today.”
Mr Khoury said the strong price differential occurs because of competition.
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If enough places in an area put down their prices, then others have little choice but to follow if they want people to fill up there.
“It’s just that each town is its own local market effectively and in some towns you just seem to get more competition,” Mr Khoury said.
“It could be that you get a couple of local service stations that compete on price and so the others have got to do the same, and that’s all it comes down to.
“Sometimes it can be two towns that are right next to each other and the price difference can be 20 cents.”
Mr Khoury said petrol prices were close to the bottom of the current price cycle, giving motorists much-needed relief.
“World oil prices are finally starting to fall,” he said.
“Saudi Arabia announced last week that they were going to increase production by 100,000 barrels a day and OPEC are meeting next week and they’re going to announce the same.”