According to FuelPrice Australia, the average petrol price in Horsham on March 16 was $2.07, fluctuating between $2.10 and $2.05 depending on the location.

Such prices have rarely, if ever, been seen in the Wimmera where the most residents rely on car transport to travel.

Volunteer organisation Centre for Participation was one organisation facing the impact of increased fuel prices across many of its community programs.

The centre provides many transport services, including a probationary drivers' licence training program, a community bus service from Kaniva to Horsham, and one-to-one non-urgent medical transport.

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Centre for Participation chief executive Robbie Millar said the group made no profit from operating its transport-reliant program, but would still continue its necessary work for the community.

"We incur the fuel and car costs as we are always looking for additional funding or grant money to prop them up," he said.

"It is a challenge but we are committed to carrying out those programs because of how critical it is for people to get their licence, to travel for employment studying and live rurally.

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"With fuel prices going up that is going to make it even tighter. It is not ideal but it is what it is, and we have to just deal with it."

Increased fuel prices have also been reflected onto support organisations - who say an increased cost of living will see more families looking for financial relief.

Horsham Christian Emergency Food Centre relief coordinator Anne Mahony said the centre expects to see flow-on effects as high fuel prices take hold.

"Because we don't have public transport they have in the city, a lot of people are out of town. The small towns around about us, they come into use our services too," she said.

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"They will be impacted dreadfully, a lot of them have older cars too which seem to guzzle fuel.

"If it is a single parent they still have to pay rent - even if they get assistance. Their expenses are going to be exactly the same as everyone else."

The food relief centre has a coverage area from the South Australia border to Stawell, with many of its clients driving into Horsham to receive donations.

Ms Mahony said requests for assistance have returned to pre-COVID levels, after the end of the JobKeeper income supplement.

"The cost of living generally is very high. It is general. It is hard enough for people who are working, it is doubly hard because food and veg are more expensive," she said.

"There is no way out of that, they need help somewhere."

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