Australians received a shock this week as petrol prices hit a literal breaking point, forcing some service stations to display a staggering $9.99 per litre on their digital signs.
The eye-watering figures, captured at stations across the country, have gone viral on social media as the national average for fuel climbs to record heights.
Photos and videos shared online show signs at petrol stations glowing with ‘999.9’ prices, leading many to wonder if something major had happened overnight.
“And I thought $3 Diesel was bad,” one user wrote alongside a photo of a Solo station in Rocklea, Brisbane, where Premium 95 was listed at 999.9.
Another person spotted a similar sign at an Ampol station where every fuel type – from E10 to Diesel – was priced at 999.99.
“This is getting ridiculous,” the poster captioned the post.
The Instagram account ‘It’s Called Straya’ also shared a video of their local BP, where Ultimate 98 and Diesel were both listed as being nearly $10 per litre.
“I’m not saying fuel is completely out of control but I think that’s the dearest unleaded and Diesel I’ve seen in Australia at this point in time,” he said.
Meanwhile, a local news outlet in Tasmania said they had to do a “double take” after spotting a fuel board last week with the same surprising prices.
“Seeing numbers like that is enough to give any driver a small heart attack,” they wrote alongside the photo of the Liberty service station.
“That’s daylight robbery,” declared one user in one of the comment sections.
However, many Aussies were quick to point out that the numbers essentially act as an “out of fuel” sign for specific pumps.
“They generally put that price in when the tanks are empty of that fuel type,” one person claimed, explaining that it serves as a quick visual cue for drivers to keep moving if that’s the fuel they need.
“Are you even an Aussie if you didn’t know that?” another person quipped on Instagram.
But many drivers admitted they “had no idea” of the concept, with one saying they always thought the sign was just glitching.
Others were baffled why service stations wouldn’t turn the lights off or make them zeros when they were out of petrol.
The confusing sight is becoming increasingly common as Australia grapples with supply issues.
According to data from Fuel Radar, 847 petrol stations across the country were reported as “running dry” on Sunday.
This figure includes stations where at least one fuel type has been unavailable within the last 30 days, with data sourced from official government feeds.
Diesel drivers are copping it the worst, facing an average of $3.21 a litre.
The skyrocketing prices have become so severe that Anthony Albanese is reportedly considering calls for people to work from home to save fuel.
A meeting between Albanese and state leaders on Monday is expected to address the crisis, with whispers that officials may call for a return to work-from-home mandates to curb petrol consumption.
Extracted in full from: https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/why-australian-petrol-stations-are-showing-999-a-litre-prices/news-story/724ec846279fec4e7e249888b4286696
