Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) data shows Tamworth’s fuel prices finally fell briefly into line with the capital cities in February.

Prices for unleaded fuel fell some 18.5c a litre, or 12 per cent, during the last quarter, from an average of 149.1c in December to 130.6c a litre in March.

The difference was even greater in Gunnedah, where the average price plummeted from 147.4c a litre to 128.7c a litre during the same period.

Armidale, which has traditionally had some of the highest fuel prices in the state, witnessed a 9.9c a litre decline, from 143.1c to 133.2c.

The record-low prices experienced in many regional areas was short-lived, however, with Tamworth now sitting at 136.1c, Gunnedah 136.9c and Armidale 134.9c.

South Tamworth mum Alicia King last year launched a social media campaign encouraging motorists to boycott the region’s highest-priced petrol stations.

She said fuel remained one of the greatest cost-of-living pressures that families doing it tough in regional areas faced.

Ms King said she had heard horror stories of local children having to walk to school in 40-degree heat because their parents could not afford to put petrol in the car.

“I’m sure that there are probably more people out there who have similar stories, but don’t want to go ‘poor me’,” she said.

“You just can’t compete with the big companies, because you need fuel and you have to buy it from somewhere, unfortunately.”

ACCC chairman Rod Simms said that between December 2014 and March 2015, 94 per cent of regional centres monitored saw a decrease in fuel prices.

He said the gap between average prices in regional areas and the country’s five largest cities closed from 17.5c a litre to 1.9c a litre.

“Regional prices were slower to fall in line with international price movements, compared with prices in the larger cities,” he said.

“They were also slower to rise in the March quarter.”