Petrol prices hit record high and show no sign of coming down, motorists warned

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Petrol prices have hit a record high, prompting advice for motorists to be cautious of where they fill up.

Regular unleaded prices have reached a never-seen-before average of $2.22 per litre.

The difference between the most expensive petrol and the cheapest petrol used to be as much as 50 cents per litre, but now, Australia's biggest roadside assistance organisation says that's a pipe dream. 

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"The cheapest is $1.96 but the most expensive is $2.30 so there's not a huge spread between the cheapest and most expensive" NRMA Spokesperson Peter Khoury said.

"We were at the top of the price cycle at the end of last week and over the weekend and we're now starting to fall."

The strength of Australia's dollar has caused the increase in petrol prices, City Index Market Analyst David Scutt said.

"The Aussie dollar has been very weak over the past two months," he said.

"At the same time, you've had crude oil prices and gasoline prices that have surged on the back of very tight marketplaces and the like."

Suctt says motorists can expect prices to stay relatively the same for the time being, with the absolute lowest expected being $2 a litre. 

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Motorists who are planning on travelling for the upcoming school holidays have been urged to use the NRMA app or the government's fuel check website to find the lowest prices.

"If you have to top up, top up in Sydney, [otherwise] fill up when you're outside of Sydney," Khoury said.

"There are cheaper service stations outside of Sydney."