A woman has slammed a driver for paying for another customer's fuel at a petrol station because it was cheaper and then leaving them with their more expensive bill.

Tamara Meyer said she witnessed the 'disgusting' act unfold after filling up her car with petrol. 

‘Anyway, I went to line up to pay, as you do, and there was this old guy in front of me that was trying to figure out what had happened,' she said.

Ms Meyer said the man appeared confused at the counter, only to realise he was being asked to pay a much larger amount than expected.

‘Long story short, someone took his petrol payment, which was less than his,’ she said.

‘The guy didn’t want to pay his $100 petrol amount, so he took someone else’s petrol payment instead because it was $36.’

Ms Meyer argued the incident highlighted a broader moral slide driven by financial stress and rising living costs.

‘This is the thing. You wonder why we’re in this crisis, because people cannot even stick up for themselves,’ she said.

‘People are so low level headed.’

She acknowledged that many people are struggling with soaring petrol prices, but said that wasn’t an excuse for taking advantage of the vulnerable.

‘Yes, we’re all going through a petrol prices problem,’ Ms Meyer said. 

‘But you do not take someone else’s petrol because it’s better for you, especially when it’s an older man who probably doesn’t have as much money as you.

‘This is where karma, I hope, gets that man back.

‘I hope someone steals money from him. That, for me, is the lowest level of thing I’ve ever seen.’

Fuel prices across Australia have remained volatile, with households also squeezed by rising grocery, rent and energy costs.

While many concede financial pressures are forcing difficult choices, Ms Meyer said there’s no excuse for abandoning basic decency.

‘If people start justifying behaviour like this because times are hard then we’re in a lot more trouble than just expensive petrol,' she said.

The federal government moved to ease prices at the pump by halving fuel excise on petrol and diesel, slashing 26.3 cents per litre from April. 

Several states and territories added their own cuts, reducing prices by a further 5.7 cents per litre, bringing total relief to about 32 cents up until 30 June.

Data from Petrolmate shows the national average for unleaded is now around $2.26 per litre, with variation between states and regions. 

Diesel remains higher, sitting at about $3.20 per litre.