It pays to shop around – especially when it comes to petrol prices in Tauranga.

The AA Motoring website says fuel prices rose by two cents per litre in September, but the price increase was unjustified.

Gull on Hewletts Road in Mount Maunganui. Photo: File.

Mark Stockdale, who writes for the site, says while the New Zealand dollar has fallen 'slightly”, commodity prices are relatively stable.

'Overall the imported cost of fuel rose less than one cent, and in the case of diesel, it actually fell about half a cent.

'At the current margins, the AA thinks prices should have remained unchanged, whereas now petrol margins are above average. Although diesel margins are in the normal range.”

Mark says fuel prices have increased for the first time in two months, with Z raising the price of all fuels by four cents per litre.

'After a long run of decreases, Kiwi motorists have been hit by a double whammy, with the New Zealand dollar dropping around one cent and commodity prices rising a massive 14 per cent.”

He says fuel companies were failing to pass on all of the price cuts.

'Consequently, the four cent-per-litre pump price rise has returned margins to the top end of the normal range.

'But given that fuel companies normally only drop prices two cents per litre at a time, we say they should have only raised prices two cents per litre at a time.”

The website shows fuel prices for our main centres were higher than Tauranga with Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch motorist paying 203.9 cents per litre for 91 Octane, 212.9 cents per litre for 95 and 125.9 cents per litre for diesel.

While the main centres are paying more than $2 per litre, with a bit of shopping around, Tauranga motorists can get their petrol more than 20 cents cheaper.

SunLive visited a number of petrol stations in the CBD area and Mount Maunganui and found prices varying from 191.9 to 181.9 cents per litre.

Gull on Hewletts Road was the cheapest of the stations, with 91 Octane at 181.9 cents per litre, 95 Octane 196.9 and diesel 103.9.

While Tauranga's drivers might think they are getting a bargain, Rotorua motorists are even better off, with Mobil on Te Ngae Road priced at 173.9 for 91 Octane, 182.9 for 95 Octane and 97.9 for diesel.

Most petrol stations have loyalty discounts which can see motorist benefit by up to 20 cents per litre off.

10 ways to save money on petrol:

Wheel alignment: Poor wheel alignment not only causes tires to wear out quicker, but also forces your engine to work harder. Align your tires and save up to 10 per cent.

Tune your car: A properly maintained engine can improve your mileage by up to four per cent.

Good tire pressure: More than one-quarter of vehicles are driving on deflated tires. Good tire pressure can save up to 2.8 per cent in fuel efficiency.

Minimise air conditioning and open windows: This can add up to 10 per cent to your fuel bill. Use air-conditioning only when you're on the highway, and open windows when you're driving at lower speeds.

Slow down: Travelling at 110km/h instead of 100km/h can cost you an extra 10 per cent in fuel cost.

Drive more smoothly: Stay at a steady speed, use the highest gear possible without straining the engine. Speed up, slow down and brake gently and smoothly.

Shift to higher gears early: Change gear at about 2000 to 2500rpm. If you drive an automatic, allow the transmission to change up early by accelerating gently.

Lay off the brakes: Riding with your foot on the brake pedal can increase fuel consumption by as much as 35 per cent.

Lighten up your vehicle: Take unnecessary items out of the car, remove roof racks/boxes and cycle racks if you're not using them.

Turn corners smoothly: Don't brake hard for corners or accelerate out of them. Slow down gently, negotiate and exit corners with light acceleration.