The average metropolitan price for LPG over the past 31 days.
There's more pain at the pump for Perth motorists, with new figures showing they are paying far more for LPG than their counterparts in any other mainland state capital.
The average cost of LPG in the metropolitan area today is 62.2 cents a litre, the sixth straight day the price has risen. That follows a 13 cents a litre spike by Caltex Woolworths service stations last week.
Data from monitoring service MotorMouth shows the average Perth price suddenly spiked six cents a litre on Saturday, and a further four cents on Sunday, after having tracked similarly to other state capitals.
It is now about seven cents a litre more than in Adelaide and Sydney. LPG prices throughout the rest of Australia have risen about six cents a litre this month as the international LPG benchmark, the Saudi Aramco Contract Price jumped 9.3 cents at the beginning of February.
Competition expert Frank Zumbo, an associate professor of business law at the University of NSW, said the latest "rip off" for Perth motorists was further evidence that Petrol Commissioner Joe Dimasi needed formal monitoring powers for all fuel, not just unleaded petrol.
Mr Zumbo made a similar call in WAtoday.com.au last week after noting the diesel price in Perth was 10 cents a litre more than unleaded petrol, despite its wholesale price being cheaper.
"The spike in LPG prices... is way above the recent jump in the world price of LPG and is simply indefensible," he said yesterday.
"This is just a blatant attempt by Caltex and Woolworths and now the other oil companies to gouge motorists."
The WA FuelWatch scheme yet again appeared to be used by retailers to signal price rises to each other, Mr Zumbo said.
