Petrol prices are soaring – here’s how you can save money on running a car
The cost of living crisis is hitting the UK’s motorists hard, with each day seeming to bring news of a record high for fuel prices.
Many motorists are already shelling out well over £1,000 a year to fill their tanks, and most commentators believe prices will continue to push upwards in the coming days, and that petrol may evenhit £2 a litre.
It is a worrying time for those reliant on their vehicle but there are things you can do to save money, ranging from small changes in the way you drive to being savvy about where you fill up and how you pay.
Official data published on Tuesday revealed that UK motorists were hit by the steepest weekly rise in fuel prices in more than 18 years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said the average price of a litre of unleaded petrol went up by 3.7p between 28 February and 7 March, to just under 153p. Over the same period, diesel prices increased by 5.2p to an average of 158.6p a litre.
That means the cost of filling up a typical 55-litre family car had gone up by more than £2 in only a week.
The rises have continued as the week has gone on. The RAC said that by Wednesday, after the UK’s announcement that it will phase out Russian oil imports, petrol and diesel had risen to 159.6p and 167.4p. It is all a far cry from May 2020, when the average price of a litre of unleaded dipped below 105p.
The AA reckons pump prices will continue to go up in the next few days, and some experts expect diesel prices to rise at a faster rate, as the UK reportedly gets 15-20% of its supplies from Russia. A few filling stations have already breached the £2 a litre of diesel barrier.
However, there is a sliver of good news that will counter some of that
Read more on theguardian.com
