Irish motorists have been urged to shop around for cheaper petrol following the publication of a survey on fuel prices by the office of the Director of Consumer Affairs.
The survey reports checks on more than 160 retail outlets and found that the price of petrol varied considerably from region to region.
According to the survey, the price of a litre of petrol can vary by as much as 15.5 cent. Dublin recorded the highest prices for petrol and diesel but the high rates are not restricted to the capital, according to the survey.
In Dublin, Tesco outlets had the lowest price at 92.9 cent per litre.
The Texaco station on the Malahide Road, which is close to a Tesco outlet, has matched the Tesco price of 92.9 cent per litre. The Clontarf Shell station was the highest at 108.6 cent.
Outside Dublin, the Burmah station at Cootehill, Co Cavan, was selling the cheapest petrol at 93.9, and the Esso station in Dunmore East was the dearest at 107.9 cent per litre.
Motorists have been urged to take note of price differences in their area and not to be complacent when purchasing fuel.
"We found in the collating of this survey that many motorists operate in convenience mode, meaning they will go to the closest station to them without looking at the prices.
"It is clear that they don't shop around, but we would strongly advocate them to do so," the director, Ms Carmel Foley, said.
Prices across the country are generally expected to move above the €1 mark as the international oil market remains uncertain.
The survey's publication is an attempt to restrict any potential exploitation by stations as prices increase across the board.
"Essentially, petrol stations won't behave themselves because they are altruistic but because of regulation and because of constant monitoring by my office," Ms Foley said.
Earlier this year petrol retailers were urged to "act responsibly" by the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, as prices rose by 7c a litre throughout the country.
The increase came as a result of international oil prices reaching a 21-year high. Ms Harney at the time described the situation as very worrying. She said it had developed quickly and was due to external factors.
The president of the IRHA, Mr Eamonn Morrissey, said members were pressing for action on the fuel crisis and were becoming increasingly frustrated at the Government, which was "taking over 50 per cent of the cost of a litre of fuel in taxes, yet doing little to ease the plight of motorists and hauliers."
Commenting on the variation in prices, one Dublin petrol-station owner said: "The price of your oil all depends what area your station is in. One would be more inclined to have a slightly higher price if the next station was a good distance away."