The price of petrol at the pumps has risen to a new high, the AA said today.
After a brief halt following weeks of increases, the average cost of petrol has gone up to 142.48p a litre.
Key Points
- Petrol prices at pumps risen to new high
- Average cost of petrol is 142.48p a litre
- Diesel costs 147.88p a litre on average
Diesel, at 147.88p a litre on average, is just short of the record price which was set last week.
The AA says petrol has risen 10.23p a litre and diesel 7.32p a litre since pump prices started their climb at the start of the year, adding £21.72 to the monthly petrol cost of a two-car family.
In the past month alone, petrol has gone up 3.98p a litre and diesel 2.43p. A year ago, petrol cost 135.29p a litre and diesel 141.60p.
Regional variations
The most expensive petrol is found in Northern Ireland at 143.9p a litre on average, while the cheapest is in Scotland at 142.2p.
The dearest diesel is in Northern Ireland at 148.2p a litre while the least expensive is in Yorkshire and Humberside at 147.3p.
AA president Edmund King says: "Panic-buying in March forced some cash-strapped families to spend far more on fuel than their budgets could bear.
"Filling up a 50-litre tank costs more than some families spend on food each week. This panic-buying masked a more persistent threat further up the fuel chain."
King adds: "To help the 35 million UK drivers, the Government should address the current destructive tendencies in the oil and road fuel markets. Greater transparency would be a good start."
Have your say
This is an open discussion but the comments do not represent the views of MSE. We want everyone to enjoy using our site but spam, bullying and offensive comments will not be tolerated. Posts may be deleted and repeat offenders blocked at our discretion. Please contact fbteam@moneysavingexpert.com if you wish to report any comments.