THE days of petrol for under $1 per litre are well and truly over in Bathurst.
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It was only about six weeks ago that Bathurst residents were able to fill up with unleaded fuel for 83.5 cents per litre, but those prices have jumped by about 30 cents.
On Monday, the best price in Bathurst was 109.5 cents per litre, which was on offer at both Pearl Energy and the United on Durham Street.
NRMA spokesperson Bridget Ahern said the prices are being dictated by a greater demand for petrol, which had slumped at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
"What has unfortunately happened is the increase in wholesale price of petrol and world oil prices have been steadily increasing and that has now just trickled into the regional areas," she said, adding that some areas have seen substantial rises.
"We have seen more than a 10-cent jump, particularly in Orange. It's been a bit slower in Bathurst simply because you have some very aggressive retailers in that area."
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Given the factors influencing prices at the moment, retailers offering unleaded for around 110 to 113 cents per litre are considered fair.
Anyone charging more is urged to adjust their prices.
"We would urge all retailers to do what is fair for the communities at the moment," Ms Ahern said.
"Just because restrictions have eased doesn't mean people aren't doing it tough, so we want to remind all retailers to be in line with what is fair, what is reasonable.
"I would say around $1.10 to $1.13 is reasonable, and there are a couple of retailers in Bathurst offering those prices; $1.30 and $1.50 is not, so we want to make sure customers know there are options for them to fill up at a cheaper cost."
The NRMA encourages people to check the MyNRMA app to compare prices.
As was the case with unleaded, both Pearl Energy and the United have the best price for diesel, which was 107.5 cents per litre on Monday. Both had e10 advertised for that same price.
The NRMA expects prices to rise in the coming weeks, but not to the highs seen in early 2020.
