Heartlessly overcharged for motor fuel making this the most expensive ever festive getaway on the roads

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams says “The big four supermarkets, which dominate UK fuel retailing, have robustly refused to significantly lower their forecourt prices to reflect what’s happened with the substantial reduction in the price of wholesale fuel that they are enjoying. We now have a bizarre situation where many smaller independent motor fuel retailers are charging far less for their fuel than the supermarkets". It seems that after years of the supermarkets being the cheapest place to fill up, many drivers automatically assume this is still the case and may be losing out as a result.

On the motorways the refuelling prices charged at some filling stations can result in the need for a defibrillator!



Looking at local prices
Alongside is a petrolprices.com report with the current fuel petrol prices in a 2 mile radius in a subrban part of SW London. The most expensive is at a Sainsbury filling station alongside their supermarket - in fact 3.92% more than at nearby BP. When filling a 60 litre tank that is £3.60 more. See our note on this local fuel prices example. Report

Posted: 221223
RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “With the cost-of-living crisis making this one of the toughest Christmas periods on record, it is even more galling to know drivers are being heartlessly overcharged for fuel making this the most expensive ever festive getaway on the roads. The big four supermarkets, which dominate UK fuel retailing, have robustly refused to lower their forecourt prices significantly to reflect what’s happened with the substantial reduction in the price of wholesale fuel that they are enjoying".

“We now have a bizarre situation where many smaller independent retailers are charging far less for their fuel than the supermarkets. The trouble is after years of the supermarkets being the cheapest place to fill up many drivers automatically assume this is still the case and may be losing out as a result. We urge the supermarkets to properly cut their petrol and diesel prices to give drivers the Christmas present they deserve".
Charts from the report in The Times today
Wholesale and pump fuel prices have fallen. Data below shows the percentage change from 17th October 2022 - so a greater rate of reduction in wholesale prices and least with supermarkets who it seems appear to be competing less to be the cheapest.
 Report in The Times today
"The business secretary has threatened fuel retailers with state intervention unless they give drivers a fair deal on prices at the pumps this Christmas". The Times adds "Grant Shapps wrote a letter to them demanding that they come clean on their pricing formula after the release of RAC data yesterday, which showed record high prices in spite of rapidly falling overheads from lower wholesale fuel costs) and a 5p/litre cut in the Government's fuel duty. Shapps said that he was “committed to ensuring retailers are offering a fair deal at their forecourts” and “will not hesitate to act to ensure competition is healthy and consumers get a fair deal on their fuel”".

Supermarkets, which make 44 per cent of all daily petrol and diesel sales in the UK, are under scrutiny for appearing to abandon their policy of competing to be the cheapest. Note, the data in the charts alongside shows the percentage change in fuel prices from 17th October 2022.
Link to The Times article

£95.34 @ Sainsbury and £91.74 @ BP
£ 3.60 or 3.92% more at Sainsbury