Some Tauranga motorists have been paying 6c a litre less to fill their cars because Gull undercut the other big oil companies after fuel prices soared on Wednesday.
Tauranga motorist Tom Maltby was grateful to be paying $1.67 a litre to fill up at Australian-owned Gull's Hewletts Rd service station instead of $1.73 elsewhere.
"I say, good on them. You don't often say that about Aussies," he said.
Mr Maltby said that with petrol almost a luxury items these days, it was good that Gull held back the other companies' prices at times.
"Give credit where credit is due."
Another driver cashing in on the cheaper petrol, Marley Murphy, said she regularly filled up at Gull stations.
"They have had good petrol prices right from the start."
Te Puke contractor Casey Morgan is price conscious, particularly since he has been commuting to a job at Katikati every day.
"I always come back to where the petrol is cheapest."
He uses his Woolworths and Countdown fuel discount vouchers to reduce the price even further.
Whether Gull continues to undercut other petrol companies this weekend will be known by later today.
Gull general manager Dave Bodger would not say one way or the other this morning whether they would be able to hold their price margin.
He said Gull's price was mostly driven by the international refinery price through Singapore.
Mr Bodger said that the small family-owned company had the advantage of flexibility against the big industry players.
A conference later today would also consider factors such as what the opposition was doing and the demand for Gull's product.
"Our want is to always hold prices down."
Meanwhile, the Salvation Army says the petrol price hike will be the final straw for some struggling families this Christmas.
Major Robert Ross said the increase would have far-reaching impacts on those just keeping their heads above water.
"For families already struggling financially, the increase comes on top of the extra budget pressures associated with Christmas, and may be enough to tip the balance for some."
Mr Ross said families would notice the difference every time they visited a petrol station.
The fuel price will also affect them in other more insidious ways, such as through higher food and service costs.
Gull to rescue of drivers with cheap fuel
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