2026 Fuel Prices & Security of Supply

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › 2026 Fuel Prices & Security of Supply

1 | ... | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | ... | 64

448 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 321

#3476609 1-Apr-2026 15:11

SaltyNZ:

I take your point, and it is a fair one. But I don't think we're actually in the crisis yet. Right now, there's still plenty of fuel around ... the last of the ships to leave the Strait heading for Asia are only expected to arrive in the next couple of days. So the actual crisis is still several weeks away. Right now we're just getting the warning signs. How much it will cost to get out of a contract to supply something you don't have (because SK relies on Middle Eastern imports) will soon be moot.

According to other reports the last oil to transit Hormuz arrived at refinery ports on 13 March
https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/editors-picks/the-last-tankers-have-landed-now-nzs-fuel-crisis-begins-jet-fuel-consumers-feel-first-effects

Whether it has all been processed yet I do not know

Otautahi Christchurch

ezbee

2657 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3099

#3476610 1-Apr-2026 15:21

Possibly 'powers that be' want to get past Easter holiday before any bad news.

Trucking delivery companies are looking at their contracts to put charges up, and that will hit soon.
Even your local courier for all your online deliveries. So there is a lag to that hitting economy.

Rail may get a boost though, somewhat diesel dependent as we have gapped electric networks.
Still diesel train is a number of times more efficient for long distance freight than trucks.

If its up to rest of world to unblock straits themselves now, then its going to take a long while.
Join BRICKS, Sheep for Oil, pay in Yuan, Iran might be prepared to consider that we are not close ally of west?

We could get lucky and there is a collapse in Iranian organization, and no more toll gate.
Not zero percent chance, not high either.

fastbike

448 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 321

#3476755 1-Apr-2026 17:49

geoffwnz:

dafman:

Spoken from a place of absolute privileged ignorance.

What about those on minimum wage & low fixed incomes, unable to afford to live locally, unable to access funds to buy an EV, no alternative options to having to rely on an ageing fossil fuel vehicle, and, for reasons totally beyond their control, unable to find $50 a week to meet essential transport costs - let alone the near-term rapid inflationary impact on living essentials.

Even if you are "Wealthy and sorted", the sheer speed at which the cost of, first, fuel, and subsequently "everything else" has and will continue to ramp up is going to have a significant impact on the weekly budget.

I'm neither ignorant nor wealthy and sorted.
But I have been paying attention to geo politics for a long time - this crisis is not something that happened on the 1st March.

Too many people I know are getting annoyed that this will disrupt their (take your pick) family holiday to Vietnam, traveling to Australia to meet a new grandchild, attending the Warbirds over Wanaka boondoggle this coming weekend, being able to run a marathon 400km away, etc.

All of this is privilege unimaginable 2 or 3 generations ago. Crikey - even the lowest decile in NZ have access to a better life than Queen Victoria 170 years ago. All of it built on the back of oil - providing on average 400 personal slaves for everyone.

All of a house of cards involving dodgy wars, polluting other people's lands, turning the other way when buying oil from some despicable tyrants, pouring atmosphere altering exhaust gases into the air etc.

Sure I'm more privileged than my ancestors, but I'm awake to my privilege. Whataboutism has no place here.

And I absolutely get the second and third order effects, and am exposed to them like everyone else.

Otautahi Christchurch

Batman

Mad Scientist
30014 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6217

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3476884 1-Apr-2026 21:04

WA AU has declared a state of emergency due to fuel shortage

AU PM giving a live speech to the nation at the moment

NZ has more fuel that AU

gzt

18685 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7826

Lifetime subscriber

#3476887 1-Apr-2026 21:22

Batman: Victoria AU has declared a state of emergency due to fuel shortage

I don't see any news related to that. Are you watching some wacky AI channel?

wellygary

8813 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 5295

#3476888 1-Apr-2026 21:24

Batman:

AU PM giving a live speech to the nation at the moment

As a few people have said

“it’s going to be hard over the next few months “ but “ fill up as usual over Easter” oh yeah and “ if you can use public transport when you get back”….

this needed a “national address to the people” ???

Samsung

Shop now on Samsung phones, tablets, TVs and more (affiliate link).

Batman

Mad Scientist
30014 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6217

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3476890 1-Apr-2026 21:36

gzt:
Batman: Victoria AU has declared a state of emergency due to fuel shortage

I don't see any news related to that. Are you watching some wacky AI channel?

sorry WA

wellygary

8813 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 5295

#3476892 1-Apr-2026 21:58

Batman: ~~Victoria~~ WA AU has declared a state of emergency due to fuel shortage

Although the details aren’t quite as dramatic as the headlines….

The Western Australian government will invoke emergency powers to force fuel companies to provide information about their supply chains in an effort to keep fuel flowing through the state.

The government had previously asked companies to voluntarily provide this information, as the war in the Middle East caused disruptions to Australia's fuel supply, but Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said just three of the six major suppliers complied.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-01/wa-government-emergency-powers-fuel-supply-chain-information-/106522788

gzt

18685 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7826

Lifetime subscriber

#3476893 1-Apr-2026 21:58

Batman: has declared a state of emergency due to fuel shortage

In practice this falls a long way short of declaring a state of emergency:

"Let me be very clear, we are not declaring a state of emergency. We are utilising the emergency powers under the Fuel, Energy and Power Resources Act,” he said"

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/western-australia/wa-to-declare-state-of-emergency-not-covid-only-fuel-20260401-p5zkox.html

DjShadow

4222 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1322

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#3477296 2-Apr-2026 17:09

Just an observation with fuel stations after driving from Wellington up to the Waikato today: Normally there would be a reasonable price difference between the likes of Gull and Waitomo vs the big player stations like Z, BP and Mobil. Noticed the price difference is now around 6c between the low cost guys and the big guys which covers the savings each brand’s loyalty scheme would cover.

Before the war I noted Tokoroa would be 20-30c/L cheaper than say Matamata and Tīrau, today there was nothing in it in each town so I can only assume they are running a low margin at the moment.

SaltyNZ

8869 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9550

Trusted

2degrees

Lifetime subscriber

#3477377 2-Apr-2026 20:12

Minister for Greater Oil Dependence to spend $20M on fixing a storage tank at Marsden Point, to be ready just in time for fuel to run out. It's a pittance in the scheme of things (and it's not a massive bump in storage, either). But ... FFS guys, seriously?

iPad Pro 11" + iPhone 15 Pro Max + 2degrees 4tw!

These comments are my own and do not represent the opinions of 2degrees.

Dell

Shop now for Dell laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

gzt

18685 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7826

Lifetime subscriber

#3477393 2-Apr-2026 21:19

$1300 to replace fuel tank after a drill and steal petrol theft:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/waikato-solo-mum-faces-1300-bill-after-thieves-drill-fuel-tank-steal-petrol/4T5OZLAQNJBHFA4B3HHVREWWCY/

There are many non-weld adhesive products advertised to repair fuel tanks. I'd be trying one or several of those first. I wonder if it's legal/warrantable in NZ. I don't see why not if it is effective and durable. Either way I can fully understand why an actual mechanic is not going to try one.

wellygary

8813 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 5295

#3477408 2-Apr-2026 22:34

DjShadow:

Just an observation with fuel stations after driving from Wellington up to the Waikato today: Normally there would be a reasonable price difference between the likes of Gull and Waitomo vs the big player stations like Z, BP and Mobil. Noticed the price difference is now around 6c between the low cost guys and the big guys which covers the savings each brand’s loyalty scheme would cover.

Before the war I noted Tokoroa would be 20-30c/L cheaper than say Matamata and Tīrau, today there was nothing in it in each town so I can only assume they are running a low margin at the moment.

It does appear the previous pricing models have gone,

Didn’t notice any discounting this week, def no Thursday deals like there traditionally has been

HarmLessSolutions

1230 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 812

Subscriber

#3477443 3-Apr-2026 09:14

An interesting comment was made by Ed Miller on last night's 'The Hoon' presentation. His take was the the government's sluggish moves in reducing fuel use was due to storage capacity in NZ. What they are trying to avoid is a situation where a fuel shipment arrives with insufficient free storage capacity and the tanker then heads off to offload elsewhere (e.g. Aussie) rather than anchor up at Marsden Point for a few days.

The problem seems to then lie in NZ being caught out by the just in time fuel supply model we are using with not enough storage capacity to add a buffer to our onshore reserves. Incidentally it seems that Shane Jones was actually the MP who voted down spending somewhere north of $70M to increase storage capacity a while back due to it being excessive and not necessary. Not a great decision as it turns out now.

https://www.harmlesssolutions.co.nz/

k1w1k1d

1713 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1314

#3477499 3-Apr-2026 10:14

NPD in Christchurch had their regular Thursday reduced fuel prices yesterday. Discount was 12c/l.

We have lowered our vehicle use and still had a nearly full tank from last Thursday.

1 | ... | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | ... | 64