Motorists in the UK are paying too much for diesel, the RAC says.
The wholesale price of diesel is now on a par with petrol — yet diesel is still being sold for 17.5p per litre more on average at forecourts across the UK.
Data from RAC Fuel Watch shows that the average price of petrol currently stands at 146.63p per litre while diesel is 164.26p, despite both fuels selling for around 114.5p on the wholesale market. In fact, on two days last week wholesale diesel was cheaper than petrol.
“The forecourt price disparity between petrol and diesel across the UK is absolutely shocking given their wholesale prices are now virtually identical,” said RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams.
“At the beginning of March wholesale diesel was only 6p more expensive than petrol yet there was a 20p a litre gap between both fuels on the forecourt. Now the two fuels are identical on the wholesale market, and there’s still more than 17p difference at the pump.
“For retailers to be taking a margin of nearly 20p a litre on average throughout March, compared to the long-term average of 7p, is devastating for every driver and business that relies on diesel.”
Williams noted that the price of a litre of diesel should have already come down to around 152p, and now the wholesale price is the same as petrol it ought to filter through to prices of around 147p.
He added: “We hope the Competition and Markets Authority, which is currently reviewing the road fuel market in the UK, is keeping a watchful eye on this pricing behaviour as we believe it’s against the interests of diesel drivers up and down the country.”
