Fuel retailers accused of plundering drivers’ pockets after pump prices rise

Pump prices continue to rise despite the oil price falling back from $60 a barrel – a weaker exchange rate and overseas demand for petrol being to blame.

Over the course of the last month, the petrol price rose from 111.92p a litre to 113.29p and the average diesel price per litre went from 118.19p to 118.83p.

This rise comes in spite of the fact that a barrel of oil fell from $58.5 to $55.7.

Supermarket prices for unleaded have risen to 109.9 ppl. The gap between supermarket prices and the UK average for unleaded has shrunk to 2.0 ppl.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “Cars are like blank cheques for whoever feels the need to balance the books by plundering drivers’ pockets.

“Motorists prop up the Treasury to the tune of 10 per cent of the UK’s total tax-take, and now the fuel retailers are taking £3 a tank extra on diesel to steady their finances.

“Manifestos promise action and transparency on domestic energy bills but nothing on road fuel price transparency.”