Fuel Crisis Forces Sole Traders To Turn Down Work

New data from Hnry suggests the fuel crisis is now reshaping how sole traders work, with many travelling less, staying closer to home and, in some cases, turning down jobs altogether as rising petrol costs bite.

Hnry expense data shows the number of business trips taken by sole traders claiming fuel or mileage expenses has dropped by more than 30 per cent in the past month, while the total distance travelled has fallen by 50 per cent.

The impact is pronounced with tradies; their average cost per fuel transaction dropped from $81.03 to $62.29, suggesting many are making smaller, more frequent fuel purchases, or staying closer to home to manage cash flow.

Painter and decorator Regan Kelly relocated to the Waikato a year ago and travels across the region. He says continually rising travel costs could mean losing out on jobs, and while he’s always factored in travel costs, recent increases have been ‘significant’.

“We have to pass the costs on for travel, but with the weekly fuel costs going up by a minimum of $25 to $30 each week, it can be a big jump for people over the course of a job. It’s even at the point where I’m leaving my trailer on site instead of towing it home to reduce fuel costs from excess weight.

“I’m spending more time managing supplies, too, so we don’t have to make the one-hour round-trip to a supplier more than we need to. Before the crisis, this wouldn’t have been a concern, but now it’s also adding to the time I spend each week on business admin,” he says.

Hnry co-founder and CEO James Fuller says the data shows fuel costs are changing the day-to-day decisions sole traders make about how and where they work.

“When fuel prices spike, sole traders feel it immediately,” says Fuller. “They don’t have procurement teams, company fuel cards or big operating buffers; it’s just them, making decisions in real time about which jobs are still worth doing, how far they can travel, and whether they can afford to absorb the cost.

“That has a very real impact not just on sole traders themselves, but on the customers and communities who rely on them too.”

Australia yesterday announced it would halve its excise tax to 26.4 cents for three months to release some of the pressure at the pump. Fuller says the current help on offer from the government - an in-work tax credit of $50 per week for eligible working families with children - doesn’t go far enough.

“There are 400,000 sole traders in New Zealand, and they’re often among the first groups to visibly change behaviour when economic pressure hits, but many are being left to absorb the cost alone. They’re a resilient and adaptive workforce, but they can only absorb so much. If this continues, we need to see more targeted support for self-employed people whose businesses rely on being able to move,” he says.

Hnry’s expense analysis tracked more than 10,000 users across New Zealand and Australia who recorded a fuel or mileage expense in both the second week of February and the second week of March 2026.

About Hnry

Founded in 2017, Hnry is one of New Zealand’s largest accountancy firms. It provides a pay-as-you-go, all-in-one digital accounting service that handles invoicing, expenses, payments, taxes, filings, and expert on-demand support. Hnry takes care of all the financial admin for contractors, freelancers, sole traders, and the self-employed, allowing them to focus on getting the job done rather than worrying about tax and compliance. Hnry recently won the ‘Innovation in Financial Services’ category at the 2024 INFINZ Awards. Named in the Deloitte Fast 50 in 2023, 2024 and 2025, Hnry was also recognised in 2025 as the Fastest Growing Technology Business in the Wellington and Lower North Island region.

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