GREEDY fuel retailers are refusing to pass on the fall in wholesale diesel costs to motorists, the RAC says.
And the mark up is “devastating for every driver and business relying on diesel”, the motoring group has warned.
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Diesel prices are now on a par with petrol on the wholesale market, but it is still being sold for 17.5p a litre more on average on forecourts.
On two days last week, wholesale diesel was cheaper than petrol.
The average price of petrol stands at 146.63p a litre, while diesel is 164.26p, despite both fuels selling for around 114.5p wholesale.
The RAC’s Simon Williams said: “The forecourt price disparity between petrol and diesel is absolutely shocking.”
The Sun’s Keep It Down campaign has been calling for all fuel prices to be as low as possible to keep cash-strapped drivers and businesses on the move.
At the beginning of March, wholesale diesel was only 6p more than petrol, yet there was a 20p a litre gap between both fuels on the forecourt.
Now they are identical on the wholesale market, there is still a more than 17p difference at pumps.
The RAC reckons the forecourt price for a litre of diesel should have come down to around 152p.
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But the big four supermarkets, which dominate fuel retailing, charge 162p a litre on average.
The only national retailer bucking this trend is membership-only chain Costco, which is charging just under 150p a litre for diesel.
Mr Williams added: “As the supermarkets buy so frequently, they have had plenty of time to pass on the lower prices they are benefitting from to drivers at the pumps.
“But they remain resolute in their refusal to cut prices substantially, which is nothing short of scandalous, particularly in a cost of living crisis.”
The news has prompted more demands for ministers to bring forward long-awaited plans for a PumpWatch watchdog.
