AA criticises fuel retailers for not passing the savings on to diesel drivers at a time when they are facing increased taxes and levies
Average diesel pump prices have increased, in spite of a reduction in the fuel’s wholesale cost, according to the latest figures.
The AA’s monthly Fuel Price Report shows diesel pump prices now stand at 130.32p per litre – up 1.47p from its rate of 128.85p in mid-February.
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The price of wholesale diesel, though, doesn’t justify this increase, having decreased to 49.8p per litre (including VAT) – its lowest level since early February.
Petrol pump prices also increased from 119.12p per litre in early February to 121.03p per litre now. However, the wholesale cost of this fuel has increased in that time from 39.66p to 43.27p.
The AA’s fuel price spokesman Luke Bosdet said: “Fuel retailers’ failure to at least halt the rise in average diesel pump prices threatens to cast them alongside the villains in local and national government.
“With climate change concerns now coming back under political scrutiny, the fact that official figures show new diesel car fuel efficiency beating petrol’s by more than 18 per cent is lost in the scramble to get more tax out of diesel.”
This follows on from the news that the end of February saw both petrol and diesel prices rose for the first time this year, ending three consecutive months of fuel prices failing.
RAC Fuel Watch data shows the average UK price of a litre of petrol went up 0.88p to 120.42p over the course of the month, while diesel saw an increase of 1.24p to 129.88 per litre.
MPs call for fuel price watchdog
MPs are calling on the Government to set up an independent fuel price watchdog by the name of ‘Pumpwatch’ following accusations that fuel retailers are increasing their profit margins at the expense of motorists.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Fair Fuel says fuel retailers made an average profit of 8p per litre in the first nine months of 2018, but by the end of the year this figure had increased to more than 13p per litre. Meanwhile, the average profit margin on diesel prices rose from 8.6p to 11p per litre.
Under the APPG for Fair Fuel’s proposals – which follows a petition by pressure group FairFuel UK that collected more than 14,000 signatures – fuel stations which agreed to charge fair prices would be allowed to display a “kitemark” logo.
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Conservative MP Kirstene Hair, chair of the APPG for Fair Fuel, commented: “Drivers need reassurance that they are not paying way over the odds for fuel.
“In rural communities where public transport is poor and unreliable, people need their vehicles to get from A to B. It is essential that they pay the fairest price. That is where a price monitoring system would support them.”
Howard Cox, founder of FairFuel UK and secretary to the APPG for Fair Fuel, added: “We need ‘Pumpwatch’ now to ensure pricing fairness for both consumers and hardworking fuel retailers, too.
“Most of the profiteering is at wholesale level, not by small independent retailers, who are also victims of the greedy fuel supply chain.”
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The news comes as the latest RAC Fuel Watch data shows the price of fuel at the pump did fall as much as it should have in December in line with oil prices.
The average price of unleaded fell 2.75p from 123.67p to 120.92p per litre last month, while diesel was reduced by 3.08p from 133.09p to 130.01p.
However, oil decreased in value by 14.5 per cent at the start of December, which should have meant a considerable drop in pump prices, with the RAC calling for fuel petrol and diesel prices to fall by 8p per litre and 10p per litre respectively in the next month.
RAC fuel spokesperson Simon Williams said “drivers should feel cheated” by the fact pump prices had not fallen as much as they should have and said “smaller retailers ought to be moving their prices down on their own without having to be forced to do so by nearby supermarkets”.
What makes up the price of UK fuel?
The price of fuel can be divided into three sections; the taxes imposed by the Government, the costs of drilling, refining and transporting, and the profit margins for the fuel companies.
For petrol, diesel and bioethanols, the Government gets around 65 per cent of the overall cost through fuel duty and value added tax (VAT). The fuel duty represents the fixed price of fuel – it stays the same regardless how much overall oil prices fluctuate. Currently, the Treasury adds 57.95 pence to each litre of fuel through fuel duty, and another 20 per cent through VAT. How much you pay in VAT depends on how much fuel you purchase.
The second biggest chunk comes from the wholesale costs of the fuel itself. The wholesale cost is a combination of currency exchange rates, global oil prices, and even domestic supply and demand.
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Finally, the smallest share of what motorists have to pay for fuel comes from the filling stations themselves. A typical fuel station profits around 2p-5p per litre, but tough competition can drive this down further. Supermarkets increasingly use fuel prices as a loss leader to tempt customers in.
Why is supermarket fuel cheaper than an independent forecourt?
Supermarket forecourts usually offer the cheapest fuel prices and this is because of the market power supermarkets hold. Companies like Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons are all in competition with one another, so they keep fuel prices as low as possible hoping that when motorists come to fill their tank, they might do their weekly grocery shopping, too.
However, the AA’s Fuel Price Report found that supermarket prices are getting closer and closer to prices on independent forecourts. The price gap between the Big-Four (Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons) and non-supermarket rivals has fallen below 3ppl for the first time in 12 months.
There are persistent rumours that supermarket fuel contains fewer additives and is of lesser quality than fuel from traditional forecourts, but there’s little hard evidence of this. All fuel sold in the UK has to abide by the standards set in the Motor Fuel Regulation.
Why is diesel more expensive than petrol?
Although diesel and petrol are taxed the same by the Treasury, historically diesel has been more expensive than petrol, as domestic refineries have struggled to meet demand. This has forced the UK to import diesel from other countries at a greater rate than petrol.
However, the influx of cheap diesel from countries like Saudi Arabia has turned the tide, swinging diesel wholesale prices closer to that of petrol, and bringing the pump price down with it.
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Why is fuel so expensive on motorways?
Recent figures from the RAC suggest motorists topping up at a motorway fuel station pay up to 15 pence per litre more than elsewhere. Motorway fuel stations argue the reason their prices are higher is that many of them are open 24 hours a day and offer more services than a regular forecourt. Motorway fuel stations also pay high rent prices for the buildings they operate.
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In more remote areas, fuel is often more expensive because of the higher transport and supply costs, but according to RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams, this doesn’t apply to motorway stations: “We can see no reason why motorway fuel should be so much more expensive. In fact, arguably it is much easier from a delivery point of view than it is getting fuel to urban filling stations.”
A new pilot scheme by the UK Government is installing electronic boards on the M5 between Bristol and Exeter that display motorway fuel prices. Similar systems can be found in countries like France, and if the trial is deemed successful, more motorways across the UK will see electronic signs posting fuel prices. This would provide some much-needed price transparency for motorway drivers.
What’s your view on fuel prices in the UK? Do we pay too much for our petrol and diesel? What would you do about it? Join the debate in our comments section below…
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