THE owners of a rural petrol station have sold up just weeks after making headlines for selling fuel at rock bottom prices.
Ian Bailey, who owned Bailey’s Garage in Abergavenny, Wales, for 50 years said the decision to sell up came after him and his wife were approached about being bought out.
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Despite him saying it was a decision he “couldn’t say no to”, Ian said his wife, part of the family business, had not stopped crying since the news of the sale was confirmed, Wales Online reports.
He said: “I also feel really sad and as though a family member has died to be honest with you.
“Ascona Retail approached us 18 months ago to buy it, and we’ve not known since whether it was actually going to happen or not.
“Even until last Thursday we didn’t really know.”
Ian also hit back against those on social media accusing him of selling up after getting rid of old stock cheaply.
He said that would “never be the case” and they wouldn’t have old stock regardless, adding he wasn’t 100% whether he had made the right decision or not.
Bailey’s Garage hit headlines last month after selling fuel for rock bottom prices.
It was attracting motorists from far and wide after reducing its unleaded petrol to 167.9p per litre, which made it around 20p cheaper than most supermarkets at the time.
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At the time, Ian said he couldn’t believe other garages hadn’t dropped their prices as well.
But there are others across the UK dropping their prices, and often it’s independent petrol stations.
One in Herefordshire was selling unleaded for 157.9p per litre at the weekend.
It comes as petrol prices have soared in recent months as suppliers struggle with surging wholesale prices, partly due to the war in Ukraine.
At one point, a litre of petrol was found costing £2.18 in some parts of the UK.
But the increases have dropped off in recent weeks.
The RAC said the average price of petrol fell in July by nearly 9p to 182.9p a litre.
This works out as £5 been shaved off the cost of a 55-litre tank of petrol.
Meanwhile, the price of diesel dropped by almost 7p a litre, from 199.04p at the start of the month to £192.38.
Gordon Balmer, executive director of the petrol retailers association, said the number of petrol stations open across the UK had been “stable”.
But, he said, some of the more rural independent sites were struggling with their fuel sales, leading to owners selling up and leaving consumers without a nearby refuelling station.
He said: “If these sites close, it could open up fuel deserts.”
He added that these types of stations staying open sometimes relied on larger companies stepping in to buy them.
How can I spend less on petrol?
With petrol prices currently so high, it can add a big cost onto your budget.
It means it’s getting more expensive to take the kids to school or commute to work.
But there are some things you can do to reduce the cost.
You can always check petrol prices online before heading out to your nearest station.
Websites like Petrolprices.com let you search for petrol stations offering the best prices near you.
It’s free to use for your first 20 searches.
Having a full tank of petrol can weigh you car down, so sometimes it’s best to fill it up halfway as well.
Or you could try using a loyalty scheme – many petrol stations operate them and they could see you racking up points which could be used to buy your petrol.
