Bradfordville man and former Goulburn Post photojournalist Leon Oberg has watched the price of E10 petrol skyrocket in just one day.

“I see it as gouging,” he said.

“In early December E10 ranged from $1.09 to $1.11 in Goulburn, then it was around $1.25 a few weeks before Christmas. Now all of a sudden on Tuesday it’s up 20 to 24 cents a litre.”

Mr Oberg acknowledged that the price of Brent crude oil had risen from $43 to $55 a barrel over the same five-week period and the $AU had risen 1.5 per cent against the $US.

“Any rise should be based on the normal flow of pricing and should only have risen 13c/l, not 24c. They are gouging,” he said.

Mr Oberg argued it was incumbent on everyone, especially authorities to hold fuel companies and stations to account. He said it affected tourism and people’s travel and came amid school holidays.

“Of course authorities should be jumping up and down but they all drive company cars and all their fuel is paid for… They don’t care,” he said.

“Put them on a pension and see how they go.” 

A check of Goulburn’s petrol stations on Thursday morning revealed Merino Fuels had the lowest E10 price at 136.9c/l and Coles Express Cowper Street the highest at 144.9c/l. The average across 11 stations selling the fuel was 141.7c/l.

The Department of Fair Trading’s Fuel Check website revealed E10 cost an average 125c/l across NSW on December 16 but had risen to 138c/l by Thursday.

Unleaded petrol  was sitting at an average 143.5c/l, with the highest being Coles Express, Cowper Street and the lowest – Merino Fuels at 138.9c/l. The average price for the week is 136.3c/l, according to Fuel Check, up from an average 127c/l a month ago.

Diesel prices averaged 132.9c/l, with Hill and Co in Sloane Street retailing the lowest at 127.9c/l.

Up at the South Goulburn service centre on Thursday, Mittagong man Thomas Goodman was opting for gas at 80.9c/l.

“Gas is a lot cheaper than petrol and less polluting. But I always look for the cheapest price,” he said.

But he lamented the 15c/l price differential with Pheasant’s Nest fuel station, which usually sat at 65c/l.

Mr Goodman and his wife were on their way to Melbourne and said they made a conscious decision to purchase a gas vehicle.

“Fuel prices are always a concern. The idea is to use less. We are all waiting for electric cars to become viable,” he said.

Adelaide man Kym Widdows was filling up with diesel at Budget’s North Goulburn service station.

“Diesel prices don’t move up and down as much as the other fuels and in the country areas, it’s quite good. It’s a nice surprise actually,” he said.

Several Goulburn fuel stations had not returned requests for comment for this article.