Drivers are being urged to “shop smarter” for fuel as prices spike from the end of the federal government’s fuel excise cut. The NRMA said national unleaded petrol prices had risen on average by 3.2 cents per litre on Monday after the removal of the fuel excise discount. It said the gaps in price between fuel types had reached a “record high” and urged motorists to consider cheaper alternatives where possible. “With the excise going up today and the war continuing, finding smart ways to save at the bowser remain critical for many Australian struggling with cost-of-living pressures,” NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said. “Not paying premium prices for premium fuels if you don’t have to is a great place to start.” Diesel had also increased on average by 3.4 cents per litre,” Mr Khoury said.Adelaide was hit the hardest with an almost 4 cent per litre jump in both categories, while Perth experienced a 5.1 cent per litre increase in diesel. The price difference between E10 and Premium 98 fuel has also reached a national record high of a 30.5 cents per litre gap.A difference of 26.5 cents per litre was also recorded between E10 and 98 in Sydney, marking the most expensive gap since 2012.Premium 95 also broke records when compared with E10, rising to a 19.1 cents per litre difference nationally from the previous record of 13 cents per litre. Mr Khoury said motorists could save up to $17 on a standard 55-litre tank and support locally sourced biofuels by opting for E10. “It is absolutely critical that Australians understand that they have choice at the bowser,” he said. “Supporting this industry is an effective way to boost jobs regionally and reduce our dependence on imported oil.”Jim Chalmers raised concerns about service stations hiking up prices on Friday. The Treasurer wrote to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb calling for increased “scrutiny of fuel prices as fuel excise rates return to their normal settings”.“The restoration of excise rates to normal settings cannot be used as a pretext for false, misleading or otherwise unjustified price increases,” the letter stated.“I expect the ACCC to investigate any concerns regarding misrepresentations about petrol prices, false and misleading conduct or anti-competitive conduct in petrol markets and to take appropriate action.”Mr Chalmers said any price increase that could not be explained “will face serious scrutiny from the ACCC”.“We’ve jacked up the penalties for petrol stations that rip off Australians. They face multimillion-dollar fines if they break the law,” he said.Mr Khoury said the NRMA was also “monitoring prices carefully” and current prices indicated petrol stations were following guidelines. “Those increases give us confidence that petrol stations are doing the right thing,” he said. The heavy vehicle road user charge will also return to its normal rate of 32.4 cents per litre on Monday after it was cut to 16.4 cents per litre for liquid fuels such as diesel.