The Automobile Association says there is unlikely to be any good news for motorists soon, as petrol prices continue to rise steadily.
"We can only hope [that rise] is not at an alarming rate," AA petrol watch spokesman Mark Stockdale said.
In the past six weeks, petrol has risen sharply from a brief spell below $2 a litre in June, back up to a few cents off last year's all-time high price of $2.22 a litre.
The price fell six times in June, with a litre of 91 octane briefly down to $1.97 a litre in the main centres - the first time it had dipped below $2 since last August.
Most motorists in Otago were paying $2.169 a litre yesterday, following a 4c increase in the past few days.
Yesterday, 91 octane was $2.169 a litre at BP and Z in Dunedin, and $2.14 at Challenge.
In Wanaka, 91 was $2.229 a litre.
The rise comes on the back of international oil and petrol product prices rising and a weakening kiwi dollar, as well as a excise tax increase at the start of the month that pushed petrol up 2c.
The sharp climb of the past six weeks brings the price to just 5c from the all-time high, hit in August last year.
Mr Stockdale said the global outlook, the increasing price of commodities due to the increase in demand and decrease in supply, and the improbability that the exchange rate would protect against higher costs for much longer, meant the costs would be passed on at the pump.
He expected prices to increase steadily, surpassing the previous all-time high.
"It's not looking particularly good."
Motorists had to realise and accept that commodity prices would continue to rise and find ways to reduce fuel consumption.
"The only thing we don't know is how far it will go," Mr Stockdale said.
