A QUARTER of Australians are now saying petrol is one of their most stressful costs, as prices throughout the country continue to rise.

According to a new survey from Finder, 25 per cent of Australians are saying petrol is now one of their top money stresses, up from 17 per cent in January this year and 11 per cent in March last year.

Petrol prices across the country are continuing to rise as pressures mount from the war in Ukraine, with costs now at their highest in eight years, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

In major cities across Australia the price of petrol hit 182.4 cents per litre in late-February 2022, which was the highest inflation-adjusted level since 2014, according to the ACCC’s monitoring report.

Some parts of the country are now seeing prices at more than $2 a litre, with prices in Canberra having reached as high as $2.30 a litre.

The soaring costs have resulted in calls on the federal government to cut the fuel excise, a flat tax on petrol and diesel when it’s bought by motorists at the bowser.

The excise, which is expected to raise close to $20 billion in revenue this year, is currently 44.2 cents per litre, however the government is at disagreement on whether a cut to the tax would represent a long term solution to the problem.

In the meantime, households are being urged to brace themselves for even further price hikes as the ACCC expects costs to continue to rise throughout March.