The NRMA is urging Canberrans to reward petrol stations that consistency offer the lowest prices to prevent the gouging of already "outrageous" costs.
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Petrol prices in the territory skyrocketed 15 cents in the first two weeks of the New Year, a jump that shocked ACT NRMA spokeswoman Kate Lundy.
While anticipating Canberrans, along with the rest of the world, would pay for increased oil prices as a result of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries's decision to cut oil production, she said the price hike came before those ramifications have surfaced.
"The steep jump is outrageous. Retailers need to be able to attribute price rises, and if it is arbitrary, questions are rightly asked about the motivation for the increases," Ms Lundy said.
"Because it would be disingenuous for retailers to increase the price again in the very near future and say that that's attributable to the OPEC increase."
One question she had was whether there was petrol gauging as a result of service stations taking advantage of the increased traffic during the Summernats car festival.
She stressed this was a question rather than an accusation, but could not explain why Canberra was already be feeling the OPEC nations' squeeze on supply.
Australian Institute of Petroleum figures showed fuel prices in the capital jumped considerably mid-October from 118 cents per litre to 129 cents, and stayed relatively stable until the most recent soar shortly after Christmas.
Those figures - which were on par with Thursday's - were between three and four cents higher than neighbouring Yass and Goulburn and two cents higher than Sydney, though they were slightly trailing Batemans Bay.
While it is common for motorists to scour a street or two for the cheapest petrol prices, Ms Lundy suggested people go beyond this to actively support businesses offering the lowest prices and pressure retailers that have been potentially overcharging.
"It is very tough for motorist to go out of their way to fill their cars but the NRMA encourages them to do so to make competition work in their community," Ms Lundy said.
"It's of course impacting what income families have available to spend especially when they are travelling long periods in the holiday period."
While the surge is likely to sting some pockets, some bowsers have bucked the trend and offered below-average prices.
On Friday, Canberrans could buy petrol at an average of 125.9 cents per litre at Metro Petroleum in Fyshwick and in Majura at Caltex/Woolworths and Costo.
Their unleaded prices started at 121 cents at Costco - though only available to members - 123 cents at Metro and 125 cents at Woolworths/Caltex.
Unleaded petrol cost 128 cents or more at Caltex in Hume and at least 133 cents at BP in Fyshwick.
But unless venturing slightly further to Queanbeyan, which has several petrol stations with similar prices, the not-so-horrible prices stopped there - according to the ACT Fuel Watch website, all other Canberra petrol stations started their unleaded prices at 140 cents per litre.
