Fuel prices climb further in September as retail and wholesale pressure persists

Retail prices pushed to new highs

Australian fuel prices were still climbing in September 2026, with SBS reporting that motorists were paying more at the bowser than they had in months and that experts were warning energy shocks could become a new normal. Wireless Choices’ government-feed snapshot, frozen at 13 September, showed the national average for unleaded 91 at 215.3c/L and diesel at 261.2c/L. In that dataset, unleaded had risen 55.1c/L from its 30 June low and diesel 78.3c/L over the same period, making diesel the faster mover of the two. ¹²

The same snapshot showed the pressure was broad-based rather than confined to one market. On 13 September, unleaded 91 averages ranged from 211.4c/L in Victoria to 223.8c/L in the ACT, while diesel ranged from 258.8c/L in Victoria to 273.7c/L in the ACT. Wireless Choices said six of the seven states and territories were at their highest unleaded 91 level of the series on 13 September, with Western Australia peaking four days earlier on its own weekly cycle. ²

What the market data showed

Wireless Choices said its figures were calculated from state and territory government fuel-price schemes only, using a 5th–95th percentile trimmed mean. It recorded a national low for unleaded 91 of 160.2c/L on 30 June and a series high of 215.3c/L on 13 September, while diesel rose from 182.9c/L to 261.2c/L over the same span. The page also noted that the largest step in the national series came in July, followed by another lift in August, before the first 13 days of September added roughly another ten cents to unleaded in the eastern states. ²

State tables in the same snapshot showed that the late-winter and early-spring rise was not limited to one fuel grade or one jurisdiction. On 13 September, Sydney’s average was 216.3c/L for unleaded 91 and 261.3c/L for diesel, while the ACT sat at 223.8c/L and 273.7c/L respectively. The data also showed that capital-city averages were generally a little below their state averages, with Perth and Adelaide carrying the widest discounts to their states across the period. ²

Wholesale prices remained firm

The Australian Institute of Petroleum continued to publish terminal gate price data and weekly prices reports as the retail market moved higher. Its terminal gate table for 23 September listed Sydney ULP at 233.6c/L and diesel at 277.7c/L, with Melbourne at 230.9c/L for ULP and 275.2c/L for diesel. Brisbane, Adelaide, Darwin, Perth and Hobart were also all showing elevated wholesale levels on the same date, indicating that retail price pressure was being reinforced by firm upstream pricing. ⁴⁵⁶

The AIP page described terminal gate prices as average daily wholesale prices for unleaded petrol and diesel at major terminal locations around Australia. It also said prices are generally collated each weekday morning, which makes the 23 September table a current wholesale snapshot rather than a weekly retail average. ⁴

Supply, stocks and geopolitical backdrop

AustLogistics reported that Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said national fuel stocks stood at 43 days of petrol, 33 days of diesel and 33 days of jet fuel. The update said 36 fuel ships were en route to Australia and 3.5 billion litres of fuel had been contracted for delivery over the next four weeks, up 300 million litres from the previous update. ³

SBS said Australia imports around 90 per cent of its refined and crude oil, which leaves the local market exposed to global shocks. Its report linked the latest run-up to conflict in the Middle East, higher oil prices and the end of the temporary fuel excise relief, while noting that Alison Reeve of the Grattan Institute saw volatility as the bigger economic problem. AustLogistics separately said the government continued to describe the national fuel position as strong, but that ongoing international supply pressures were still creating uncertainty for operators. ¹³

How the present move fits the recent pattern

The latest readings extended a price move that had already been building for weeks. SBS said the NRMA’s latest petrol report showed regular unleaded in Sydney had climbed more than 20c in a week to 237.8c/L and diesel to 286.1c/L, while Wireless Choices’ series showed a steady climb through July and August and a fresh run higher in September. Together, those figures point to a market that had not yet settled by 23 September. ¹²