Petrol prices in Brisbane are set to reach their highest-ever mark, with some service stations charging as much as $2.24 per litre.
The highest prices were mostly found north of the city, at Kallangur, Redcliffe and Clontarf, as well as in the city's western corridor encompassing Milton, Chapel Hill, Kenmore and Bellbowrie.
Those looking for a bargain will be hard pressed trying to find one, with the cheapest prices found at The Gap, Enoggera, and Graceville, where prices are $1.85 per litre.
RACQ spokeswoman Nicky Haydon said the Greater Brisbane area was only in the early stages of a price hike.
"We're seeing around 10 per cent of petrol stations hiking to that new high of $2.24 per litre for regular unleaded," Ms Haydon said.
"The message here is that it means there is still plenty of cheaper fuel available, so 90 per cent have not reached those new highs yet, but we do expect that they will do so in the coming days."
Ms Haydon said with so many service stations set to hike, now was the time to visit the bowser.
"The majority of service stations will lift those prices to this staggering $2.24 mark.
"They will level out for a while and then over the next week to two weeks they'll drop again."
'Shop around' as prices following a global trend
The petrol price cycle typically lasts 30 to 35 days and Ms Haydon does not forecast prices will rise further in this cycle.
"When petrol companies hike their prices, the first movers tend to set the benchmark," she said.
"Those early movers, which tend to be Coles Express, they hiked to $2.24 in this case, and then over the next 10 days or so, the cheaper service stations will also have their prices to reach that same mark."
According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) petrol price tracker, petrol prices are trending upwards.
An ACCC spokesperson urged consumers to make use of online resources to find the best deal.
"With petrol prices currently high, it is important for motorists to use available free fuel price apps and websites to shop around because there can be a range of prices available," the spokesperson said.
With cost-of-living pressures at the forefront of many minds, Ms Haydon urged consumers to shop around.
"There's obviously a big difference between filling the tank at $2.24, compared to $1.85 — that alone could save you $20 per tank."
So what is to blame for the sky-high prices? Unlike much of the country, Queensland is not heading into a long weekend.
Instead, Ms Haydon said prices were following a global trend, with high oil prices driven by the war in Ukraine and China easing its COVID-19 restrictions, increasing its demand for oil.
