AA Ireland today urged drivers to shop around to avoid the exorbitant prices being charged at some petrol stations.
Conor Faughan of the AA
AA Ireland said the prices displayed on some forecourts were way over the average price for a litre of petrol.
"They don't have to justify it, we are in a deregulated market," spokesman Conor Faughnan said. "It is a free market and they can charge it - if they think they will get away with it they can charge €10 a litre," Mr Faughnan said.
The AA warned that consumers' only defence against overcharging was good quality competition and shopping around.
"If motorists are prepared to pay over the odds there is no shortage of garages who are willing to overcharge them, but our defence against that is to look for cheap prices," said Mr Faughnan.
"So what we are saying to motorists is to shop around for petrol and do not pay more than you need to."
He said the industry had been expecting some price rises to around €1.17 a litre, which is the average across the country.
"There was a service station found that was charging €1.37 for petrol. Now that is far, far in excess of anything that can be justified by the market situation at the moment," Mr Faughnan said.
He added that prices had not risen to an extent to justify prices over €1.20 a litre.