A litre of petrol fell by 3p, taking the average price to 145p at the end of June, while diesel fell by 4p, taking the average cost to 150p, which was last seen in early February.
According to the RAC’s Fuel Watch, this means it now costs drivers £80 to fill up a 55-litre family car with petrol, with a price of £82.57 for the diesel equivalent.
It revealed that the cost of oil began June trading under $80 per barrel, before steadily increasing and finishing the month around $86.
However, it said fuel prices are still too high for drivers in England, Wales and Scotland, with only those filling up at forecourts in Northern Ireland getting a “fairer deal”.
Here, a litre of petrol sells for an average of 140.5p which is 4.5p cheaper than the UK average. Meanwhile, diesel stands at an average of 142p – which is 8p less than the UK-wide price.
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Turning to the big four supermarkets with forecourts – Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco – these lowered prices by an average of 4p for both fuels in June, taking the average cost to 142p for petrol and 147p for diesel.
But the difference between the cheapest and most expensive sites ranges from 6p for petrol at Tesco, to 10p at Morrisons, 13p at Sainsbury’s and 35p at Asda.
RAC’s Fuel Watch noted that the latter now has 665 sites, many of which are non-supermarket forecourts since it acquired the 350-strong Euro Garages portfolio.
For diesel, the gap is bigger. Tesco still has the smallest difference between its high and low prices at 9p, whereas at Morrisons it’s 15p and at Sainsbury’s it’s 16p, while at Asda it’s a “shocking” 38p.
Petrol bought at the 535 sites run by oil giant Shell is the most expensive in the UK at an average of 149p – 4p more than the UK average and 8.5p more than in Northern Ireland.
BP-operated forecourts average 146.5p. Shell also has the highest average for diesel at 155p – 5p more than the UK average and a whopping 13p more than the average in Northern Ireland. BP’s average is 152p across the 287 sites it owns and runs.
‘Drivers in Great Britain continue to get a raw deal’
Simon Williams, RAC’s head of policy, said: “While it’s good news prices at the pumps have fallen for the second month in a row, this also leaves a bad taste in the mouth because we know drivers in Great Britain are continuing to get a raw deal as both petrol and diesel are still much more expensive than in Northern Ireland.
“This month’s Fuel Watch report also reveals just how expensive fuel is when bought at forecourts owned and run by oil giants Shell and BP. We remain baffled how the very same fuel can be sold for such vastly different prices by the biggest retailers, whether they’re run by supermarkets or the world’s largest oil companies.”
Williams added: “It’s also the case that while oil has increased from under $80 at the start of June to the mid-$80s by the end, wholesale costs are still low enough to merit cheaper prices at the pumps. Looking at the fairer average prices charged in Northern Ireland, petrol should be 4.5p lower across England, Scotland and Wales and diesel should be a whole 8p less.”
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