Fuel prices going north in the south
Analysis of nationwide fuel prices carried out by the AA has revealed that drivers in the south are paying more for petrol and diesel than those in the north.
It found that on average petrol is 2.7p per litre more expensive in the South East than the North East, while diesel is 1.7p more expensive.
Across the country, average petrol prices were 174.5p a litre last weekend while diesel was recorded at 199.6p.
Luke Bosdet, AA fuel expert, said: “Diesel wholesale costs that feed through to the pump remain at least 4p a litre below where they were in mid September. Yet, those potential savings are barely showing in parts of the UK.
“Rampant price-matching, particularly in the South, is holding back lower fuel prices for drivers. We see a large number of areas in the North with competitive pricing, much less so in the more populated South East.
“AA analysis of pump-prices listed on Fuel Finder this morning shows that twice as many fuel stations cut their petrol price over the weekend but remain too few to lower the UK average more significantly. Diesel saw more fuel stations increase their price than lower it, a contradiction that raises a big question about the pricing of such an important fuel.”
