Self-employed computer consultant Michael Kean, pictured, created the Facebook group Armidale Fuel Prices after he felt he was being ripped off. 

“I’m an LPG user in my car and I noticed that Guyra was hanging around 89 cents versus 99 cents in Armidale,” he said. 

“I thought that was a fairly big difference.”

And the NRMA agrees, saying regional motorists were being over-charged for petrol.

NRMA president Kyle Loades said Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s action to put the oil companies under the microscope could not have come at a better time.

“Petrol prices have come down 40 cents per litre over the past six months in most capital cities,” he said. “However, in most regional centres these prices have not fallen far enough and the gap between city and country prices has widened.”

Mr Kean created the Armidale Fuel Prices Facebook group so that other consumers would know where the best prices were, could talk about issues affecting fuel costs and hopefully convince supplier to lower their prices. 

Since starting the group, the Black Mountain Road House regularly sends Facebook pictures of their prices.

Mr Kean encouraged other fuel suppliers in town to make their prices available online.

“I’m hoping fuel suppliers would be public friendly not corporate friendly,” he said.

The comments come as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission under takes an investigation into the price discrepancy between rural and metropolitan areas.