Fuel prices drop 7p in September – but “should be 10p lower”

The price of gas need to be 10p lessen than it at the moment stands, even with an common drop of 7p across British isles forecourts in September, the RAC has claimed.

On the other hand, the British Retail Consortium, which signifies the key supermarkets – this kind of as Asda and Tesco – has argued that reductions are getting handed on “as they feed by the provide chain”, inspite of claims that retailers are making a lot more than they would typically following the summer’s report higher rates, which were pushed by large need and low source.

Charges currently stand at an common of 162.89p for every litre for petrol and 180.16p for diesel. This signifies filling up a 55-litre family motor vehicle, these as a BMW 3 Collection or Volkswagen Golf, costs £89.59 – nearly £16 reduced than July’s peak of £105.34 (191.53p for every litre). The exact same tank of diesel stands at £99.09 – £10.41 fewer than July.

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said that these price ranges should really be reduced, at about 152p for each litre for petrol, due to wholesale oil dropping from $130 a barrel in mid-June (£113.78 in present-day exchange fees) to $87.96 (£76.99) in September.

“Drivers really should really have observed a considerably bigger drop as the wholesale cost of shipped petrol [per litre] was about 120p for the complete month,” mentioned Williams. “This signifies forecourts across the country really should have been exhibiting prices all-around 152p specified the extended-phrase margin on unleaded is 7p a litre.

“The average cost of petrol at the significant four supermarkets is only 1.5p decrease than the Uk typical – considerably less than 50 % what it typically is, which details intensely to them not actively playing honest with drivers.”

In response, Andrew Opie, director of food items and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, explained: “Retailers have an understanding of the cost pressures experiencing motorists and will do every thing they can to keep on to provide the greatest price for funds across their forecourts, passing on charge reductions as they feed by the offer chain.”

Regardless of this, the drop throughout September, which fell by 6.69p on average for petrol, was the sixth major across a thirty day period considering the fact that 2000.

Across the British isles, forecourts in England’s north-east recorded the largest reduce (8.24p), followed by London (7.91p) and the West Midlands (7.03p). The least expensive drop was recorded in the East Midlands (5.93p), which leaves the region with the optimum all round charges, at 164.14p per litre. The cheapest in the United kingdom is at present available in Northern Ireland, at 159.28p per litre.