BP has put its fuel prices up just 10 days after leading a round of price drops and some Auckland BP stations will have to raise their prices by between 7c and 12c a litre.
BP spokeswoman Jane Diver said the company had been forced to raise its national wholesale prices by 5c for petrol and 7c for diesel.
She said the wholesale price increase would mean all BP company-owned petrol stations would now charge the same price for petrol all over the country - 119.9c for unleaded and 124.9 for premium unleaded in main centres.
Diesel has gone up to 92.9c.
Ms Diver said independently owned service stations could still set their own prices, but would probably have to raise their prices to recoup the higher wholesale cost charged by BP.
BP managing director Peter Griffiths said the decision was made reluctantly but world diesel and refined petrol prices had risen in the past few weeks.
"I'm very aware of the level of public feeling whenever we lift our prices.
"However, no one can expect a business to keep going when the product it sells is not making money."
BP cut its fuel prices by 1c a litre on November 10.
It was its second reduction in a week - on November 3 it dropped petrol prices by 3c a litre.
The Automobile Association said the latest rise was the 23rd since last July, when petrol was selling in the main centres for an average of 79.9c and 84.9c - 40c a litre less than today.
The latest increase could push up the price of all transported goods, the Land Transport Forum said.
Chief executive Tony Friedlander said transport companies would have no option but to pass the increases on.
He warned petrol companies not to increase their margins as part of the price hikes in an attempt to recover any lost margin.
Other petrol companies said the market was volatile and they were watching one another.
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