American giant Costco claims it is selling the cheapest fuel in the UK after it opened its first filling station in this country last month.

The filling station is in the car park of its site in Liverpool and is only available to Costco members. Costco UK managing director Steve Pappas would not reveal the prices it was charging but said: "It will be below everyone else."

He said the company had not advertised the opening but added: "We already have lines of taxi drivers queuing up. People see great prices and it creates a buzz."

The company has been reluctant to discuss plans to roll out filling stations across its UK estate, but Costco UK’s director of real estate Nick Deeks said it was "reviewing a number of additional locations for future outlets", although no planning applications had yet been made. Costco currently has 25 warehouses across England, Scotland and Wales. A new warehouse is also due to open at Hayes, west London, in August, followed by openings at Sunbury, on the outskirts of London, and Wembley.

Costco sells a range of food and non-food items across eight countries and has a global turnover exceeding $100bn. It is a major player in the US and Canadian fuel markets, and consumers voted it north America’s favourite petrol station operator, according to US research company Market Force.

Costco charges a membership fee and prides itself on lower prices than other retailers or wholesalers.

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