Annual Fuel Costs Could Jump By $2000: NRMA

Motorists could see their annual fuel bill jump by more than $2000 as tension in the Middle East forces petrol prices towards $2.00 per litre, according to a new study by NRMA Motoring & Services.

As part of its BusinessWise report, the NRMA report analysed the fuel costs of the Holden Commodore (3.0 litre petrol), the Ford Falcon, the VW Transporter (2.0 litre 132kW) and the Toyota HiLux (4.0 litre 4x4).

The Transporter and the HiLux are two of Australia's most popular fleet vehicles, while the Commodore and Falcon are popular both as fleet and family vehicles.

The study looked at the increased fuel costs for a vehicle doing a return trip to Sydney’s CBD each weekday. Increased costs were calculated from a base of $1.35 per litre, studying 15 cent and 65 cent increases in unleaded fuel prices.

Driving a HiLux and paying $2.00 per litre, daily return trips from Penrith to the CBD could see a spike in the annual fuel bill of almost $2500.

The same scenario in a Ford Falcon could shock the pocket by nearly $2000 on top of the current annual costs. Similarly, Holden's 3.0 litre petrol Berlina and Volkswagen's 2.0 litre 132kW Transporter could see an increase of nearly $1700.

"Since December 2008 we have seen the price of crude oil quadruple in price and unleaded petrol prices increase by almost 50 cents per litre, and only a strengthening dollar has saved Australians from prices going even higher," NRMA Motoring & Services President Wendy Machin said.