Retailers have been accused of using the general election as a distraction to keep petrol and diesel prices at British pumps high. The RAC said petrol prices are “far higher than they should be,” with motor retailers hoping no one will notice due to the “distraction” of July’s vote. A litre of petrol currently averages 146.
28p across the UK, which the RAC says is 5p more expensive than it should be given Northern Ireland’s prices are at 141.1p. The situation for diesel is “even worse,” the motoring group added, with the UK average of 151.
5p, around 10p more than is charged in Northern Ireland. The UK’s big four supermarkets came under political scrutiny last year after an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found Brits were paying nearly £1bn more for fuel at the pumps. The comparison with Northern Ireland is often used, as the big four operate around six per cent of the region’s 580 forecasts, as opposed to around a fifth of the UK’s 8,300.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “While there has been much focus on fuel since the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) concluded the biggest retailers had overcharged drivers by £900m in 2022, margins are once again staying persistently high – and drivers are paying the price. “Our data clearly shows that pump prices haven’t fallen in line with the reduction in wholesale prices, so drivers across the UK – with the exception of those in Northern Ireland where fairer pri.
