FUEL prices have risen to their highest level this year but motorists could save a whopping £7 a tank by filling up at one petrol station.
The price of petrol is up on average to 155.77p a litre this week – after averaging 149.06p last month, The AA reports.
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The cost of diesel has also grown from 150.50p a litre in August to 159.64p a litre this week.
In general, average UK pump prices have risen significantly from summer low points of 143.04p a litre for petrol (June 7) and 144.31p for diesel (July 18).
Following the Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) July report on the road fuel Market, a new voluntary scheme for fuel retailers to share daily pricing data was set up at the end of August.
With this data in mind, the AA ranked the supermarket brands on average fuel price for this month.
Asda was cheapest on average for both petrol (151.59p a litre) and diesel (154.11p a litre).
Sainsbury’s closely followed charging 151.43p a litre for petrol and 154.13p a litre for diesel.
Tesco charged 154.14p a litre for petrol and 156.99p a litre for diesel.
Morrisons came at the bottom charging 155.29p a litre for petrol and 158.32p a litre for diesel.
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But the AA also found that it was possible to pay nearly 10-13p below the UK average for petrol and save even more on diesel at some specific petrol stations.
That is a reduction of £5-£7 on the cost of filling up the typical car tank.
The cheapest petrol stations were not confined to cities and bigger towns with superstores.
Instead, towns of 60,000 people or fewer brought the biggest surprise bargains for petrol and diesel costs.
Fuel price data provided to the CMA’s voluntary pump price transparency scheme revealed that the cheapest places for supermarket petrol by brand were:
- Asda in Bridgwater: 144.7p a litre
- Morrisons in Widnes, Felixstowe and St Albans: 148.7-148.9p a litre
- Sainsbury’s in Bishop Auckland: 142.9p a litre
- Tesco in Manchester, Hartlepool and March: 145.9p a litre
Likewise, the scheme showed the cheapest locations for supermarket diesel:
- Asda in Ashton-Under-Lyne and Taunton: 147.7p a litre
- Morrisons in Dukinfield, Manchester, Hartlepool, Nottingham, Felixstowe and Taunton: 150.7p-150.9p a litre
- Sainsbury’s in Belfast: 146.9p a litre
- Tesco in Belfast: 143.9p a litre
Luke Bosdet, the AA’s spokesman on pump prices said: “Pump price transparency won’t stop oil producers squeezing production and ramping up the cost of crude, it won’t stop fuel demand surges and supply disruptions, but it will give drivers a fighting chance to get the best fuel prices for the next 200 to 300 miles of their travels.”
“And when the market turns and fuel costs start to come down, cash-strapped families and less well-off workers will be able to zero in quickly on the cheaper prices beginning to emerge again.
“And by doing so, those retailers less willing to pass on savings will be pressured to speed up price cuts.”
How can I locate the cheapest fuel forecourts?
Websites like Petrolprices.com let you search for petrol stations offering the best prices near you.
The website has over 3,800 petrol stations from the CMA data providing daily price information for unleaded, diesel, super unleaded and premium diesel.
You need to register with the site, enter your postcode and tell it how far you’re willing to travel for fuel (up to 20 miles) and what fuel type you’re after.
Do bear in mind though that you can only search the site five times a day, but if you download the app you have unlimited searches.
Of course how much you’ll save or spend depends on how often you fill up which is dependent on how often you use the car, which may vary per household.
It’s also important to note that prices will vary based on your location and from week to week, that’s why it’s a good idea to always make sure you’re getting the best deal.
Petrolprices.com isn’t the only site offering this handy comparison tool.
Fleet News and Allstar also lets you check petrol prices across the counties so you can see how your region compares to the UK average.
Comparison website Confused.com also has a petrol prices checker that lets registered users find petrol prices within a five, 10 or 25 mile radius.
Meanwhile, here are four easy ways to cut down your petrol bills by hundreds of pounds a year.
Plus, we round up six ways to make a tank of petrol last longer.
