Government promises help as petrol prices climb

As costs continue to rise, the government is threatening to punish petrol companies who rip off customers. Australia's top consumer watchdog says motorists are now paying more than a billion dollars extra at the bowser than they were three years ago.

Over the past month, the cost of petrol surged across the capital cities.

The average price of E-10 didn't drop below 1-dollar-34 cents-a-litre, and peaked at a 1-dollar-67 cents.

Last week, the national average for unleaded cost more than 1-dollar-52, while premium prices soared as high as 1-dollar-90.