Car changing is a big deal
UK drivers enjoyed a second consecutive month of falling fuel prices in April, with petrol and diesel dropping by 2p per litre. But, the RAC says the cuts don鈥檛 go far enough.
The average price of petrol now stands at 134.1p per litre while diesel has fallen to 140.6p, according to the latest figures from RAC Fuel Watch. However, the RAC says that drivers are still being short-changed at the pumps.
The motoring organisation points out that wholesale oil prices stayed below $70 (拢52) a barrel throughout April, far lower than in March. Given the reduced costs retailers are paying for fuel, the RAC argues that pump prices should be at least 4p per litre lower than they are now. That would bring petrol down to 130p and diesel to 136p 鈥 saving you more than 拢2 on a typical tank of fuel.
鈥淎 full tank of unleaded now costs just under 拢74, and diesel just over 拢77,鈥 said Simon Williams, RAC鈥檚 head of policy. 鈥淏ut prices should be even lower. Drivers right across the UK should really be benefitting from more meaningful price reductions.鈥
Northern Ireland leads on lower fuel costs
If you live in Northern Ireland, you鈥檙e in luck. Motorists in the region are currently seeing the best deals in the UK, paying an average of 128.8p for petrol and 133.7p for diesel. That鈥檚 nearly 7p per litre less than the UK average for diesel, giving you savings of almost 拢4 on a full tank.
Got a Costco card? Good news! Members are also seeing significant savings, with unleaded averaging 125p a litre and diesel at 131p across the retailer鈥檚 20 UK sites.
Supermarkets continue to offer competitive prices too, with average prices of 131p for petrol and 137p for diesel 鈥 though some, such as Asda and Sainsbury鈥檚 in Ipswich, are selling unleaded for under 125p per litre.
There鈥檚 pressure on retailers to cut prices further
The RAC is calling on major fuel retailers to pass on more of their savings to customers. 鈥淚t鈥檚 good news that prices have dropped again, but disappointing that retailers didn鈥檛 go further,鈥 Williams said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 still scope for a cut of around 4p a litre.鈥
He added that the RAC is closely watching how new powers given to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are being used to monitor pump pricing. The CMA previously found evidence of overcharging in both 2022 and 2023.
In the meantime, the RAC is urging drivers to shop around. Its free myRAC app helps users find the cheapest forecourts in their area and compare prices to national averages.
莲花直播 also offers a tool to help you find the cheapest petrol and diesel prices. Just select your fuel type and enter your postcode to see the most affordable options at stations near your current location or chosen address.
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