The record high prices of fuel hit a new landmark on Thursday when the average price of petrol topped 190ppl for the first time.
The average price of petrol was 190.22ppl and diesel has also moved up another half a penny to 198.46ppl. With both fuels once again setting new records, filling the 55-litre tank of an average family car now costs £104.62 and £109.15 respectively.
The new landmark was a setback for motoring organisations, which have been suggesting supermarkets should be cutting their petrol prices to reflect falls in the wholesale and oil markets.
RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “The cost of petrol at the pumps should really have stopped rising by now and should in fact be going into reverse.
“For some strange reason, the supermarkets continue to push unleaded higher very much against the trend on the wholesale market. Drivers have every right to be angered by this. “
While there is no doubt wholesale costs increased dramatically a few weeks ago this is not the case now, so pump prices must start to fall for fuel retailers to retain credibility with their customers as well as not attracting the negative attention of the Competitions and Markets Authority.”
Earlier in the week he commented: “The situation with diesel is different unfortunately as wholesale prices last week still put it on course to move closer towards an average of £2 per litre. If, however, oil continues to trade lower it could just prevent this from becoming a reality.”
Last week the RAC called on the government to temporarily lower VAT on fuel, and make a further cut in fuel duty, saying the rise in VAT takings since March was now more than cancelling out the fuel duty cut made in the chancellor’s spring statement.
So far the government has ruled out cutting VAT, saying higher receipts from fuel price increases will be largely offset by lower receipts from households spending less on other goods and services.
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