Rural drivers face rising fuel costs
Motorists who refuel at rural stations are paying extra for their fuel, missing out on the price competitions in larger cities.
The AA’s Fuel Price Report for May has shown that petrol is small rural towns is priced around 4p higher than large towns and cities.
This is because supermarkets are delivering competitive prices to motorists who are able to choose where to refuel. But as there is little to no competition in smaller towns, prices have crept up.
The average UK petrol price per litre rose above 130p a litre at the end of April and has continued to hover around that level.
Why has the price of petrol risen?
A 2p-a-litre rise in the wholesale price of petrol since early March could be to blame for the overall rise in the price of petrol, but the NW European wholesale price has now dropped back below $1,000 a tonne.
If retailers don’t start to reduce petrol prices soon, the AA warns, “resident drivers will know whether or not their local retailers have again set their sights on inflated margins for the summer”.
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The cost of driving in the country
If you’re based in the countryside or at least away from large cities, you could expect to pay around £2 extra for a tank of petrol if you drive a small car, and a large family car will cost about £2.80 more to fill.
“Whereas supermarkets, faced recently with worse sales figures when fuel is factored in, have held their fire on pump price increases in cities and major towns, there are signs that some of them and other retailers are getting price-trigger happy again in rural towns,” says Edmund King, the AA’s president.
“A 2p increase in the wholesale price of petrol through March into April may justify that but, if pump prices stay higher while costs continue to fall back, rural town drivers will be tempted to look elsewhere for cheaper fuel – including nearly three million long-standing AA members now with free access to mobile fuel price tracking.”
If you're a rural driver and are looking for ways to reduce the amount you spend on your car, read How-to beat the petrol price hikes.
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Pricing around the UK
Northern Ireland’s petrol prices are above the UK average at around 131.3p a litre, while Yorkshire and Humberside have the cheapest prices (but not by much) at 129.5p a litre.
Diesel prices remain almost the same as last month at 136.17p a litre in mid-May, a tiny reduction from the April price of 136.26p. The exception is the North, which has had a half-penny drop to 135.8p a litre, while Scotland endures an average of 136.9p.
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