Experts are warning motorists to shop around for petrol as prices are set to rise sharply this month.
According to the RAC, the average price of unleaded petrol now stands at £1.29 a litre and for diesel it is £1.32 a litre. These prices are some 20 per cent higher than a year ago, when the country was in the grip of the pandemic.
Simon Williams, a press officer at the motoring organisation, says: ‘Oil supply was dramatically cut at the start of the pandemic last year and while demand is now rising as more cars get back on the road we still face a lag in supply – which helps explain the price hike.’
Shop around: The local supermarket should be the first port of call for most motorists, as they use cheap petrol to attract customers into their shops
Williams admits that it is difficult to predict if prices will peak this month, but he says there are steps motorists can take to ensure they do not pay over the odds for fuel.
The local supermarket, he says, should be the first port of call for most motorists, as they use cheap petrol to attract customers into their shops.
One of the cheapest is Asda, which has recently been charging £1.23 for a litre of unleaded petrol.
By contrast, motorists should steer clear of motorway service stations, where the cost of unleaded petrol averages £1.47 a litre.
They consistently charge higher prices because they have a captive audience of motorists running low on fuel with nowhere else to go.
While watching the dial at the petrol pump whirl round, it is worth remembering that the largest share of the money you hand over goes to the taxman.
Only 50p of the price you pay for £1.29 litre of petrol covers the cost of fuel and the garage’s cut. The rest is fuel duty and VAT levied by the Government.
Those struggling to find the cheapest petrol stations should consider using a free app such as PetrolPrices or WhatGas Petrol Prices. These allow you to browse a map for details of nearby stations and the prices they charge.
