Petrol prices soar to almost $1.80 across Melbourne

Petrol prices have spiked across Melbourne with the cost of unleaded nearing $1.80 a litre.

According to RACV, the suburbs where drivers have been made to pay 'through the roof' to fill-up include Sandringham and Black Rock in the city's south-east, Hawthorn East in the eastern suburbs, Yallambie and Warrandyte in the north-east and Tarneit and Truganina in the west.

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Data revealed motorists who shopped around could get the exact same fuel for $1.36 in the city's north at Craigieburn, as well as in the inner-west suburbs of Maribyrnong and Maidstone and the city's outer south-east in Dandenong.

Shopping around does have its boundaries because Melbourne's five-kilometre travel limit still remains in place.

"I think it's way too high ... I don't know why the government's not doing more to rectify it," one driver told 9News.

Industry commentators want more done to smooth out the cyclical peaks and troughs drivers face, experts revealing drivers who fill up at a cheaper service station could save up to $30 a tank.

"When you consider that an average tank is somewhere between 50 and 60 litres ... that can represent $25 or $30," motoring commentator Steve Pizzati said.

There is some good news for regional Victorians now out of lockdown, with the average petrol price in Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong around 10 cents per litre lower than in Melbourne.

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However, fuel prices are on the rise across the state, meaning filling up sooner, rather than later is advised.

The rule of thumb according to RACV, is that anything above $1.42 a litre is too expensive.