Weekly record · January to September 2026
The 2026 fuel crisis
In the week before the war began on 28 February, diesel averaged 187.2c. Seven weeks later it reached 381.0c, the highest in MBIE's records.
The shock, week by week
What happened at the pump
New Zealand imports all its refined fuel, almost all of it from refineries in Asia, so the price of a litre here follows Asian product prices with a lag of a few weeks. When fighting began in the Gulf on 28 February 2026, diesel moved first: MBIE's estimate of its landed cost peaked at 345.7c in the week to 3 April 2026, and the pump average topped out at 381.0c in the week to 17 April 2026.
Regular 91 rose less, from 252.9c to a peak of 346.8c in the week to 10 April 2026. For several weeks diesel cost more than 91 at the pump, which in New Zealand is rare because diesel carries no excise. Retailers absorbed part of the jump at first: MBIE's importer margin on diesel went negative in March, and MBIE paused its cost and margin estimates from 18 March to 24 June while prices were too volatile to model.
Prices eased through the winter, then turned up again in September. In the week to 25 September 2026 91 averaged 334.5c and diesel 308.1c. The Commerce Commission's daily series, built on Gaspy data, put 91 at 346.3c on 29 September 2026.
Timeline
- Conflict in the Middle East begins; the Commerce Commission later uses this date as the start of its crisis monitoring. Commerce Commission
- MBIE pauses its weekly importer cost and margin estimates because of the volatility. MBIE
- Pump prices reach $4 a litre at some stations in east and south Auckland. NZ Herald
- Government support package: the In-Work Tax Credit rises by $50 a week from 7 April; fuel excise and RUC are left unchanged. Inland Revenue
- Weekly 91 average peaks at 346.8c. MBIE via Figure.NZ
- Weekly diesel average peaks at 381.0c, the highest since the series began in 2004. MBIE via Figure.NZ
- MBIE resumes its importer cost and margin series. MBIE
- The planned 12c excise rise for January 2027 is cancelled; smaller 5c steps are announced from 2028. Beehive
- MBIE changes its method to include the extra import costs of the conflict. MBIE note via Figure.NZ
Every week of 2026
| Week to | 91 | Diesel | Diesel import cost | Diesel margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Sep 2026 | 334.5 | 308.1 | 218.4 | 34.7 |
| 18 Sep 2026 | 315.9 | 287.1 | 235.3 | −0.5 |
| 11 Sep 2026 | 302.2 | 272.0 | 208.3 | 13.9 |
| 4 Sep 2026 | 296.7 | 266.9 | 194.8 | 22.7 |
| 28 Aug 2026 | 297.9 | 268.1 | 179.8 | 38.7 |
| 21 Aug 2026 | 298.0 | 267.4 | 190.8 | 26.4 |
| 14 Aug 2026 | 298.8 | 267.3 | 188.9 | 28.1 |
| 7 Aug 2026 | 300.8 | 268.9 | 177.2 | 41.0 |
| 31 Jul 2026 | 298.6 | 262.9 | 190.9 | 21.8 |
| 24 Jul 2026 | 292.0 | 249.5 | 191.3 | 9.7 |
| 17 Jul 2026 | 290.5 | 240.1 | 174.7 | 18.6 |
| 10 Jul 2026 | 292.7 | 240.9 | 148.9 | 45.2 |
| 3 Jul 2026 | 296.1 | 248.2 | 142.0 | 58.4 |
| 26 Jun 2026 | 301.0 | 261.3 | 136.5 | 75.3 |
| 19 Jun 2026 | 309.8 | 281.2 | 137.0 | 92.0 |
| 12 Jun 2026 | 317.1 | 299.5 | 159.7 | 85.5 |
| 5 Jun 2026 | 322.2 | 309.7 | 171.9 | 83.0 |
| 29 May 2026 | 324.8 | 314.8 | 163.4 | 95.3 |
| 22 May 2026 | 324.4 | 315.7 | 186.6 | 72.9 |
| 15 May 2026 | 322.2 | 318.7 | 185.7 | 76.8 |
| 8 May 2026 | 323.0 | 324.5 | 179.6 | 87.7 |
| 1 May 2026 | 322.5 | 330.2 | 201.8 | 70.3 |
| 24 Apr 2026 | 330.3 | 349.8 | 199.9 | 89.8 |
| 17 Apr 2026 | 342.1 | 381.0 | 308.5 | 9.2 |
| 10 Apr 2026 | 346.8 | 380.2 | 323.1 | −5.6 |
| 3 Apr 2026 | 340.2 | 352.7 | 345.7 | −51.3 |
| 27 Mar 2026 | 335.2 | 328.8 | 297.2 | −23.5 |
| 20 Mar 2026 | 313.9 | 286.4 | 266.2 | −28.9 |
| 13 Mar 2026 | 282.1 | 234.8 | 226.7 | −35.1 |
| 6 Mar 2026 | 258.0 | 195.0 | 169.0 | −12.3 |
| 27 Feb 2026 | 252.9 | 187.2 | 107.1 | 41.9 |
| 20 Feb 2026 | 252.3 | 186.7 | 104.0 | 45.8 |
| 13 Feb 2026 | 252.8 | 186.9 | 101.5 | 48.2 |
| 6 Feb 2026 | 253.7 | 187.1 | 101.5 | 49.8 |
| 30 Jan 2026 | 254.3 | 188.0 | 101.0 | 52.2 |
| 23 Jan 2026 | 254.8 | 188.6 | 100.8 | 53.1 |
| 16 Jan 2026 | 255.9 | 189.7 | 99.8 | 55.1 |
| 9 Jan 2026 | 257.9 | 191.4 | 95.9 | 59.8 |
| 2 Jan 2026 | 259.4 | 192.3 | 96.1 | 59.8 |
Where it leaves things
Against the week before the war, 91 is +81.6c and diesel +120.9c. The year as a whole is on 2026, week by week, and the direction for the coming week is tracked on the price outlook.
Straight answers
What caused the fuel price spike in NZ in 2026?
The war in the Middle East from 28 February 2026 drove up the cost of refined fuel in Asia, where New Zealand buys it. MBIE's diesel import cost peaked at 345.7c a litre.
Did New Zealand run out of fuel in 2026?
Some Auckland stations ran short of particular grades in March, according to news reports, but there was no national shortage; importers must hold minimum stocks under rules that began in January 2025.