Christmas petrol at record high
MOTORISTS hitting the road to visit family for Christmas are being stung with record fuel costs – and most filling stations are refusing to lower pump prices.
Unleaded petrol has gone up by nearly 20p a litre in the past year to its highest pre-Christmas level – an increase of 21 per cent.
And drivers face a further 2p hike per litre in two weeks, when the Government puts VAT back up to 17.5 per cent.
The AA insists Scrooge retailers are refusing to pass on a recent 2p a litre drop in wholesale petrol costs.
RAC regional manager David Hawes said: “Motorists will have to pay considerably more for their fuel this year.”
Drivers yesterday were charged an average of 108.16p a litre for unleaded petrol – up from 89.32p the same day last year.
Asda reduced prices at all its forecourts last weekend, forcing rival forecourts in the same area to follow suit.
But filling stations elsewhere have refused to budge, creating a petrol price divide.