While local drivers are used to being slugged more at the bowser, NRMA figures have revealed just how much extra money is flowing out of our pockets.

According to the NRMA’s Bowser Buster figures for last week, the price of unleaded fuel in Tamworth was ranked an embarrassing 50 out of 54 regional centres in the state, even behind tiny towns like Barraba.

Local drivers were paying an average of 157.4c a litre for unleaded, more than 21c higher than the state’s cheapest centre in Tweed Heads (136.0c) and more than 19c higher than Sydney (138.2c).

The price discrepancy amounts to about $10 extra per tank for the average car.

Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson has vowed to write to NSW Fair Trading Minister Matthew Mason-Cox to urge him to investigate the matter and refer it to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

“If there’s one thing people in Tamworth complain about, it’s the rising cost of fuel,” Mr Anderson said.

“It seems when regulators set their prices each day they polish the mirrors and turn on the smoke machine.

“It’s a spaghetti mess. The worst thing is that when the cost of crude oil goes up, fuel prices go up but when oil comes down, the price doesn’t budge.”

Tamworth Salvation Army major David Rogerson said the escalating cost of fuel was hurting some of the community’s most vulnerable.

“It’s a staple like bread and milk and it’s very hard for people to keep on top of it,” Mr Rogerson said.

“It’s having a huge impact on people’s expendable income.”

The NRMA figures showed Tamworth ranked only marginally better for diesel, sitting at 42nd out of 54 centres.

Westdale’s Beaumont Transports manager Michael Healy, whose company runs 14 trucks and burns through 20,000 litres of diesel a week, said fuel costs were putting his company at a competitive disadvantage.

“It’s a hard to take and the only way to beat it is to buy in bulk,” Mr Healy said.

“Tamworth’s always been a bit dearer, for some reason.”

That reason, according to Bernie Morris from fuel wholesaler Lowe’s Petroleum, is complex but very real.

“You have to remember, a small service station in Sydney might go through 15 million litres a year whereas our service station in Bridge St goes through about three million,” Mr Morris said.

“Both servos only need one person behind the counter. The freight costs to Tamworth are also much higher.”

He said retailers were paying about 135c a litre for fuel even before it was shipped out of Sydney, meaning Tamworth service stations simply could not match city prices.

“In the end, we make more out of a Mars Bar and a can of Coke than we do out of 50 litres of fuel,” Mr Healy said.

He said Coles and Woolies foray into fuel was also putting pressure on small service stations.