MOTORISTS in Dubbo and other NSW country areas will still pay high prices for petrol despite a big drop in the wholesale price and at Sydney bowsers before Christmas.
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Fuel prices in Sydney were expected to drop below $1, according to reports earlier this week.
But the National Roads and Motor Association (NRMA) does not believe regional motorists will see prices drop to the same level.
NRMA director western region Graham Blight said recent talks of fuel decreasing in price to as low as a dollar would "never" reach Western NSW.
"The way [fuel companies] are performing around here we're never likely to see prices are cheap as that," he said.
The average price of petrol in Sydney on Monday was 118 cents per litre, compared to Dubbo's average 137.6 cents per litre.
Tumut held the most expensive average price for fuel at 151.9 cents per litre the lowest average price was 125 cents per litre in Albury.
Mr Blight said on Monday the gap between the average price of fuel in Sydney and the most expensive unleaded in western NSW was a ridiculous 37 cents per litre.
"Western NSW motorists are entitled to feel incensed at the gap between local prices and Sydney prices," he said.
"Although we are pleased that prices are falling in western NSW they are not falling anywhere near the rate the wholesale price is falling and that gap between the wholesale price and the jump price is getting bigger and bigger."
Falling prices in Sydney are due to added competition and are a "one-off thing," Mr Blight said.
He said western NSW motorists should shop around for the price and "use buying power" to force a local price reduction.
"Don't support people who charge ridiculous amounts," he said.
"Don't complain about fuel prices if you're not going to shop around."
Mr Blight was not only disgusted in the gap between metropolitan and rural fuel stations, but also the differing price between Western NSW cities.
"(Monday's) average unleaded price in Albury was 125 cents per litre which is fantastic news for local motorists however just an hour away in Wagga Wagga, the average was 143.9 cents per litre- a disgraceful 19 cents per litre gap," he said.
"If Albury's average is $1.25 per litre there is no reason whatsoever for prices in the rest of Western NSW to be the some price or lower.
"If you are paying an extra 30 cents per litre, that works out to be $15 more based on a standard 50 litre tank.
"That money deserves to be in the pockets of our members at Christmas time as opposed to the petrol companies.
"Most fuel retailers could not genuinely wish their customers a merry Christmas while robbing them at the bowser."
