£100 to fill up the family car: Average cost of filling up a typical diesel car hits a record 182.7p and a tank of unleaded exceeds £95 – as the price of crude oil soars amid escalating Ukraine war
- Average price of litre of diesel hit new record high of 182.7p over the weekend
- That brought the cost of a full tank for a 55-litre diesel car to nearly £100.50
- News brings fresh misery for Britain’s 33m motorists ahead of Platinum Jubilee
Diesel prices have surged to yet another record high as drivers brace for fresh misery at the pumps and the cost of filling up a typical family diesel car hit £100 for the first time.
Figures from data firm Experian Catalist show the average price of a litre of the fuel at UK forecourts was a record 182.7p on Saturday and 182.6p on Sunday.
That brought the cost of a full tank for a 55-litre diesel car to nearly £100.50.
Industry insiders have warned that ‘worse is sadly yet to come’ as prices for a barrel of crude oil continue to skyrocket.
The news marks the latest hammer blow for Britain’s 33million motorists, many of whom will be tightening the purse strings amid an existing cost of living crisis.
It could also spell fresh pain at the pumps for drivers planning on getaways during the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday and over the half-term break.
Diesel prices have surged to yet another record high as drivers brace for fresh misery at the pumps and the cost of filling up a typical family diesel car hit £100 for the first time. Pictured: Prices at a Shell petrol station in Belgravia, London on Friday May 27
The news could also spell fresh pain at the pumps for drivers planning on getaways during the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday and over the half-term break. Pictured: Slow moving traffic on the M3 near Winchester, Hampshire in April
The latest development could signal the return of the derisory situation millions of motorists faced in March, when fuel prices were hitting new records daily.
Soaring fuel prices are a blow to families embarking on half-term trips and people planning to travel over the four-day Platinum Jubilee bank holiday period, which begins on Thursday.
Petrol prices are also at record levels on Monday, after the average price hit 172.1p per litre on Saturday and rose to a new high of 172.7p on Sunday.
RAC fuel spokesperson Simon Williams said: ‘With crude oil prices consistently above 115 US dollars a barrel last week, worse is sadly yet to come just in time for the Jubilee bank holiday, particularly as petrol is now more expensive than diesel on the wholesale market.
‘Due to the rapid rise in the cost of wholesale unleaded, retailers are now taking smaller margins on petrol but larger ones on diesel.
‘If the wholesale price of petrol stays above diesel, we ought to see the current 10p-a-litre gap in average petrol and diesel forecourt prices narrow.
‘If this doesn’t happen diesel drivers will be getting a raw deal, and with prices at these historic highs, every penny matters to drivers.’
Boris Johnson has ordered ministers to find ways to ‘expose’ petrol stations that fail to pass on lower prices from the Government’s fuel duty cut.
The PM is pushing for action after figures last week showed average petrol prices exceeded £1.70 per litre for the first time – despite the Chancellor introducing a 5p per litre duty cut on March 23.
But two months later and Britain’s motorists are yet to see any benefit at the pumps with forecourts continuing to advertise petrol and diesel at record prices.
Department for Transport officials have been tasked with drawing up plans to ‘name and shame’ garages that choose to raise profit margins rather than pass on the cut to customers.
According to Sunday Telegraph, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has suggested a ‘pump watch’ name-and-shame scheme.
A Downing Street source said: ‘Officials are considering mechanisms available to expose those companies that aren’t passing on tax benefits to consumers.’
AA fuel price spokesman Luke Bosdet said: ‘Diesel’s new record price is the latest nail in the coffin of the diesel car, after it had been demonised for its emissions in an urban environment.
‘However, a diesel car’s 15%-20% better fuel consumption compared to a petrol equivalent out on the open road means less CO2 emissions, and would it make it more attractive were it not for the current higher cost of refuelling.’
It comes as MailOnline today revealed British drivers are paying more in fuel tax than they did 12 months ago – even after Rishi Sunak’s 5p per litre cut, a new analysis of pump prices has revealed.
Figures show how hard-pressed motorists in the UK are forking out more in taxes per tank of petrol than most EU countries, including Ireland, Italy and Spain.
And diesel drivers are paying more in taxes per tank than any EU country.
Meanwhile, a new poll has found more than half of Britons blame the Government for rising petrol prices, as ministers face renewed calls to slash VAT on fuel.
Based on official figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the analysis revealed Britons are currently paying £44 in taxes on petrol each time they fill up a typical car with a 55-litre tank.
This is 55p more than they were paying in April last year, despite the Chancellor having cut fuel duty by 5p per litre on 23rd March this year.
The analysis of BEIS figures, conducted by the Liberal Democrats, also showed diesel drivers are paying £45 in taxes per tank each time they fill up.
Ministers are under pressure to ensure petrol stations are passing on Mr Sunak’s 5p per litre cut in fuel duty to motorists.
It has been claimed firms are ‘profiteering’ from the reduced levy by failing to pass on the full cut at the pumps.
Pump prices only started falling after Chancellor Rishi Sunak (pictured in March) slashed fuel duty on petrol and diesel by 5p a litre in his March mini-budget
British drivers are paying more in fuel tax than they did 12 months ago – even after Rishi Sunak’s 5p per litre cut
Figures show how hard-pressed motorists in the UK are forking out more in taxes per tank of petrol than most EU countries, including Ireland, Italy and Spain, as ministers face renewed calls to slash VAT on fuel
The developments come as it was widely reported Prime Minister Boris Johnson is ready to name and shame those firms that are refusing to drop their prices at the forecourts for Britain’s beleaguered drivers.
The PM is pushing for action after figures last week showed average petrol prices exceeded £1.70 per litre for the first time – despite the Chancellor introducing a 5p per litre duty cut on March 23.
Department for Transport officials have been tasked with drawing up plans to ‘name and shame’ garages that choose to raise profit margins rather than pass on the cut to customers.
According to Sunday Telegraph, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has suggested a ‘pump watch’ name-and-shame scheme.
A Downing Street source said: ‘Officials are considering mechanisms available to expose those companies that aren’t passing on tax benefits to consumers.’
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister today said the Government was ‘exploring our options’ with regards to further action, after Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng wrote to petrol firms earlier this month to warn they could face legal action.
In a letter to industry leaders, the Cabinet minister informed them he had asked the competition watchdog to ‘closely monitor’ fuel prices.
And Mr Kwarteng said he had been ‘reassured’ the Competition and Markets Authority would ‘not hesitate to use their powers’ if they found law breaches.
EXCLUSIVE: Britain’s drivers are still paying MORE fuel duty on a tank – even after Rishi’s 5p cut – than last year
By Greg Heffer for MailOnline
British drivers are paying more in fuel tax than they did 12 months ago – even after Rishi Sunak’s 5p per litre cut, a new analysis of pump prices has revealed.
Figures show how hard-pressed motorists in the UK are forking out more in taxes per tank of petrol than most EU countries, including Ireland, Italy and Spain.
And diesel drivers are paying more in taxes per tank than any EU country.
Meanwhile, a new poll has found more than half of Britons blame the Government for rising petrol prices, as ministers face renewed calls to slash VAT on fuel.
It comes as petrol and diesel prices hit fresh highs on Saturday and Sunday, with drivers warned ‘worse is sadly yet to come’ ahead of the Jubilee bank holiday weekend.
Based on official figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the analysis revealed Britons are currently paying £44 in taxes on petrol each time they fill up a typical car with a 55-litre tank.
This is 55p more than they were paying in April last year, despite the Chancellor having cut fuel duty by 5p per litre on 23rd March this year.
The analysis of BEIS figures, conducted by the Liberal Democrats, also showed diesel drivers are paying £45 in taxes per tank each time they fill up.
The Chancellor cut fuel duty by 5p per litre on 23rd March, but he is now facing demands for further action to help hard-pressed motorists
As of last month, it was found Britons were paying almost 80p per litre in taxes on unleaded petrol and more than 82p per litre on diesel.
Separate figures, from data firm Experian Catalist, showed the average price of a litre of diesel at UK forecourts was a record 182.7p on Saturday and 182.6p on Sunday.
That brought the cost of a full tank for a 55-litre diesel car to nearly £100.50.
Petrol prices are also at record levels, with the average price at 172.1p per litre on Saturday and rising to a new high of 172.7p on Sunday.
A Savanta ComRes poll, commissioned by the Lib Dems, revealed 52 per cent of Britons blame the Government for rising petrol prices.
Little more than one-third (35 per cent) said the Goverment was not to blame, according to the survey of more than 2,600 adults.
It also found one in three (33%) of Tory voters blamed the Government for high petrol prices, while two in three (67%) Labour voters and more than one in two (55%) Liberal Democrats agreed ministers were to blame.
The Lib Dems are calling for an emergency cut to VAT to 17.5 per cent, which the party claims would save families an average of £600 a year by slashing prices in the shops and at the pumps.
VAT is applied after fuel duty, so, for example, the pump price of a litre of petrol currently reflects the pre-tax price plus 52.95p for fuel duty plus 20 per cent VAT on the pre-tax price and a further 10.59p for VAT at 20 per cent on fuel duty.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: ‘Hard-pressed families and pensioners are facing a summer of agony at the petrol pump.
‘Meanwhile Rishi Sunak is cashing in as drivers fork out over £40 a tank in taxes.
‘It is rural communities I fear for most with fuel prices at record highs.
‘Those commuting longer distances to work are seeing more of their income go on fuel just as the cost of living crisis worsens.
‘Conservative ministers have been in complete shambles on this.
‘This Government is arrogantly refusing to cut VAT, just like they refused for months to put a windfall tax on oil companies. This tax cut must be their next U-turn.’
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey is calling for an emergency cut to VAT to 17.5 per cent, which the party claims would save families an average of £600 a year
Responding to the fresh highs in fuel prices this weekend, RAC spokesperson Simon Williams warned the situation would worsen for motorists ahead of the four-day Jubilee bank holiday weekend.
He said: ‘With crude oil prices consistently above 115 US dollars a barrel last week, worse is sadly yet to come just in time for the Jubilee bank holiday, particularly as petrol is now more expensive than diesel on the wholesale market.
‘Due to the rapid rise in the cost of wholesale unleaded, retailers are now taking smaller margins on petrol but larger ones on diesel.
‘If the wholesale price of petrol stays above diesel, we ought to see the current 10p-a-litre gap in average petrol and diesel forecourt prices narrow.
‘If this doesn’t happen diesel drivers will be getting a raw deal, and with prices at these historic highs, every penny matters to drivers.’
Source: Read Full Article
