Major fuel retailers have been asked by the Commerce Commission to explain “concerning” pricing levels and variations revealed in its latest Quarterly Fuel Monitoring Report.

The document – which highlights pricing variation between cities and towns and within individual centres for the three months ended March 31 – discovered some anomalies “with no clear underlying factors”, said commission chair John Small.

“We are seeing wide variations in prices both between and within cities, and these pricing differences do not appear to be explained by differences in the underlying costs.”

Small said they noticed that retailers in some towns and cities charged a lot more for what is essentially the same product with similar cost components.

Motorists in Whangārei are paying more for fuel than the other cities studied, while Hamilton is seeing some of the lowest prices in the country, he elaborated.

The commission is seeking further information on how fuel companies set fuel prices for their retail sites to determine whether the pricing can be justified based on costs or other factors.

The regulator is responsible for monitoring and regulating fuel markets under the Fuel Industry Act 2020, aimed at promoting competition in fuel markets for the long-term benefit of consumers.