The AA’s Fuel Price Report has revealed that almost a quarter (23.8 per cent) of service stations already charge more than 150p per litre.
Yesterday, the AA warned that the average cost of a liter of petrol was hovering around 150p, having risen almost 10p per liter so far this year.
But many motorists are already paying more than this to fill up, the AA found in its survey of service stations across the UK.
The AA studied pump price data at 2,910 supermarket and non-supermarket service stations, only to find that 693 service stations were already pricing their petrol above 150p a liter this week.
Amid rising fuel prices – petrol is currently at a five-month high of 149.2p and diesel at 157.7p – motorists want to choose the cheapest place to fill up. But the AA found that only 11 supermarkets charge less than 140p a liter
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Towns lucky to have petrol available in supermarkets for less than 140p a liter on Monday were few and far between: Coleraine (Northern Ireland), Beeston, Huddersfield, Wolverhampton, Limavady (NI), Londonderry (NI), Banbridge (NI), Antrim (NI) and Bramley (near Guildford).
Analysis of pump price data from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) earlier this week found that only 11 supermarket stations currently offer petrol for less than 140p a litre.
Two pump price indicators (CMA and government data) show average petrol prices have risen by around 3.7p per liter in the last month, while diesel has risen by around 3.3p.
The average cost of petrol is currently at a five-month high of 149.2p, according to Government data.
This compares with 140.8 pence at the start of the year, while average diesel pump prices have risen to 157.7 pence.
This is the first time since February 2023 that drivers are worse off than at the same time last year, even though petrol averaged more than 150p a liter in November.
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A car’s fuel efficiency changes depending on the time of year. In winter, cars are thirstier. In summer, its efficiency is better. In winter, gasoline traditionally becomes cheaper outside of the summer car season in the United States. That typically offsets some of the higher cost of more fuel-efficient cars.
Last spring, gasoline was on the decline and significantly less expensive than in the spring of 2022. That, and getting more miles per gallon, provided a double benefit to greatly improve the lot of motorists, but this spring appears to be far from be the goal. case.
What should be a cheaper spring motor is being held back by rising pump prices.
Luke Bosdet, AA spokesman on pump prices, said: “The 10p a liter rise in petrol prices since the start of the year, of which more than a third has come in the last four weeks alone, is not what makes UK motorists consumers wanted to be.
“They were hoping that their highway fuel fortunes had finally turned around in a straight line and had not undergone a U-turn.”
The increase in fuel prices was due to the increase in the price of oil. The cost of a barrel of Brent crude oil is currently just below $91, down from $75 at the beginning of the year, its highest point since last October.
RAC fuel prices spokesman Simon Williams says: “With tensions rising in the Middle East, the cost of oil is likely to rise, which could see petrol rise above 150p a litre.”