Petrol and diesel prices remain too high despite a second month of falling prices at the pumps, RAC data indicates.

The RC says average pump prices should be 4p lower

Fuel came down by 2p a litre in April, with petrol dropping from an average of 136.1p to 134.1p and diesel from 142.6p to 140.6p.

But the RAC says the reductions should have been far greater due to the fact oil traded significantly below $70 for the whole of April in contrast to March when it was above this level.

It’s called for further cuts to reflect the lower wholesale costs and says the average price of both petrol and diesel should be 4p lower than it is today – around 130p for unleaded, and 136p for diesel.

Elsewhere in the UK, drivers in Northern Ireland are still paying significantly less with a litre of petrol averaging 128.8p and diesel 133.7p. This is 5.3p lower than the UK average for petrol (134.1p) and 6.9p cheaper for diesel (140.6p), equating to a saving of nearly £3 (£2.90) a tank for petrol and almost £4 (£3.79) for diesel.

At membership-only retailer Costco, unleaded averages 125p a litre at its 20 sites and diesel 131p. The average price charged by the UK’s four biggest supermarket fuel retailers is 131p (137.8p) for petrol and 137p for diesel.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “The data shows there’s still scope for prices to be reduced by around 4p a litre, so we call on major retailers to reward their customers with some further significant forecourt cuts soon. Some are already selling both fuels for very low prices at particular sites – we’d just like to see this happening more frequently around the country. For example, both Asda and Sainsbury’s are selling unleaded for under 125p a litre in Ipswich.”

Williams also said the next report from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) – which is now able to request pricing information from retailers – would show whether drivers have been charged fair prices at the pumps this spring. Previous CMA reports have found evidence of overcharging in both 2022 and 2023.

Drivers feel ‘held to ransom’ at motorway service areas

Three-quarters (77%) of drivers say the price of fuel at motorway service areas (MSAs) is unacceptable, a new AA survey has found.

Fuel at an MSA can be up to 25p a litre more expensive than a fuel station a few miles away from the motorway – and the majority of drivers avoid them for fuel, unless desperate according to the study.

However, better fuel price transparency, with the Government’s Fuel Finder scheme going live next year, is starting to reveal the more competitive sites.

The 13,700-strong poll claimed that prices in general were inflated at MSAs. Just 8% said the prices in shops at MSAs are reasonable while 9% believe the price of food and drink are fair. Despite having a captive audience, MSAs may miss out on future visits if drivers feel they are being ripped off.

For those driving an electric vehicle, just 15% said that there were sufficient charging points available. With the Government’s ambition of 6,000 high-power chargers on England’s motorway and A-road network by 2035, there is more to be done to help convince drivers to make the switch.

But there were some positive insights. In most circumstances, customers stop at MSAs for a toilet break and three-fifths say there are good facilities which are generally clean and tidy. Similarly, half of customers say MSAs have improved in recent years.

The AA also noted that some of the extra cost of items such as food and fuel can be put down to the additional running costs of MSAs. MSAs are open 24 hours to provide facilities (including free toilets) to drivers at all times, therefore they incur higher staffing costs than facilities which aren’t 24 hours.

MSAs are also very important for HGV drivers, offering a decent and secure place to stop, sometimes overnight.

There are currently 96 MSAs in operation on the UK motorway network of 2,300 miles. The first opened in 1959 on the M1 at Newport Pagnell and Watford Gap.

Jack Cousens, AA head of roads policy, said: “Drivers could be forgiven for feeling held to ransom over the cost of fuel and food when they are readily available at a fraction of the cost a short distance away from the motorway.

“Installing playgrounds, dog walking areas and refurbishing their overall appearance have been good investments to cater for the wide range of visitors. But more could be done to enhance the experience such as installing more charge points for EV drivers.”