Drivers are being taken for a ride at motorway forecourts by paying up to £10 more than national average to fill up the tank, new analysis reveals
- Motorway forecourts charging £10 more for a petrol tank than national average
- The retailers were accused of cashing in on the February half-term getaway
- They are charging an average of 165.5p a litre for unleaded, figures have shown
Motorway forecourts are ripping off drivers by charging £10 more for a tank of petrol than the national average.
The retailers were accused of cashing in on the February half-term getaway as figures showed they’re charging an average of 165.5p a litre for unleaded.
This is 17p a litre more than the average of 148.06p across all forecourts – already a record.
Motorway forecourts are ripping off drivers by charging £10 more for a tank of petrol than the national average (stock image used)
It means filling up a typical 55-litre tank on the motorway costs an average of £91, compared to £81 across all forecourts.
It comes as it was revealed that millions of families could save £144 on their broadband bills with their current provider – but just 1 per cent have taken up the offer.
Ofcom said 4.2 million households receiving Universal Credit were eligible.
Amid Britain’s fuel crisis, experts have warned motorists face surging prices at the pumps for weeks.
They look set to mushroom if Russia – the world’s third biggest oil producer – invades Ukraine, with any resulting Western sanctions potentially choking off supply and pushing up prices.
The global price of oil has also soared in recent weeks due to growing demand amid economics reopening as the pandemic subsides.
Diminishing competition between supermarket forecourts, traditionally much cheaper, has also been blamed for rising prices.
The retailers were accused of cashing in on the February half-term getaway as figures showed they’re charging an average of 165.5p a litre for unleaded (stock image used)
It has sparked fresh warnings about the cost of living, with household budgets already being squeezed by rising energy bills, inflation and, from April, the Government’s 1.25 percentage point national insurance hike.
Howard Cox, founder of the FairFuelUK campaign group, called on ministers to slash motoring taxes to help workers and families who rely on their vehicles to make ends meet.
He said: ‘When I and FairFuelUK interviewed Boris Johnson prior to the EU referendum, asking what leaving the EU will mean to the UK’s drivers, the then future Prime Minister told me we’d get back control of our taxes, notably VAT and fuel duty.
‘The Cost-of-Living crisis is now the ideal time for a visionary, in-touch leader to take that control and reduce taxes to really help those who put him into power.’
He also called for an independent watchdog to police fuel prices and protect consumers after drivers were ruthlessly fleeced at the pumps over the Christmas period.
Over December and January wholesale fuel costs fell by around 10p a litre, but barely any of the savings were passed on.