The NRMA says Australian drivers have been paying record-high prices for fuel this year, and it is starting to take a toll on families already struggling with the rising cost of living.
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00:00 Jess: According to the NRMA, petrol prices in Australia have been consistently rising
00:09 and breaking numerous records for the past two years now.
00:14 And that's two years ago, the Ukraine-Russian war started, and that's had a prolonged impact
00:20 on oil prices internationally.
00:22 Now, just last month, Sydney recorded its highest ever daily average for regular unleaded
00:30 petrol, with an average of $2.23 a litre.
00:34 It's quite an alarming figure, and it's not isolated.
00:37 A lot of other capital cities last month saw big highs, daily averages.
00:42 You know, Brisbane, Adelaide, also Melbourne saw prices soar past $2.25 a litre.
00:50 And it's starting to impact people already struggling in the cost of living crisis.
00:56 I'm based in Newcastle, the biggest regional city in New South Wales, and I was keen to
01:01 get out, chat to people, see how they were feeling.
01:04 I spoke to a young apprentice, and he said that he got his licence just over a month
01:09 ago, but he hasn't yet been able to actually fill up his tank fully because he can't afford
01:15 it, and when he needs to fill up, it puts in about $10 to $15.
01:19 I also spoke to a woman out at Maitland, and she said she's a single mum, she's struggling
01:25 to afford fuel prices, and now she's turning to public transport.
01:29 Because analysis by the NRMA shows that the average Aussie household spends about more
01:36 than $100 a week on fuel, and that equates to about $5,500 a year.
01:41 But that's, of course, including metro and regional areas.
01:45 When you take out metro and look just at regional, that average tends to explode because regional
01:51 areas, they have less fuel stations to choose from, longer commutes, and also less public
01:56 transport options.
01:58 So they are really struggling in regional Australia, and especially here in regional
02:02 New South Wales, the people that I've spoken to.
02:04 But there are some tips to find cheaper fuel.
02:08 Now, when I'm driving around Newcastle, and a lot of consumers may have this experience
02:12 too, you can be diving down a street and you'll see a petrol station advertising one price,
02:17 and then 5Ks down the road, you see a completely other price.
02:21 And that's because in Australia, fuel prices aren't regulated, and petrol stations can
02:26 effectively charge whatever they like for the product.
02:28 So a way to make sure you're always going to the cheaper alternative is by using apps,
02:34 comparison apps.
02:35 It's what a lot of people that I spoke to said was a game changer in their life.
02:40 In New South Wales, there's the Fuel Check app, that's by the New South Wales government,
02:44 because it's a requirement for all petrol stations to upload their prices in real time.
02:49 And then you can jump on the app and actually see what prices are where, and where you should
02:53 go to find the cheapest fuel.
02:55 And the other tips include things like just filling up when and where you see cheaper
02:58 fuel, and also seeking out a range of different fuel discounts offered through supermarkets
03:03 and other retailers.
03:04 is.
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