Compared to a month ago, the average pump price of petrol has fallen from 132.16p a litre to 130.44p. It had risen to a late summer high of 138.38p in the second week of September before the end of the Syrian chemical weapon crisis and the stronger pound sent wholesale prices tumbling.

Against an average of just above 130p a litre, the cheapest price for supermarket petrol in built-up areas ranges from 126.7p in towns with strong competition to 131.9p in those without, usually small market and coastal towns like Clacton-on-Sea, Trowbridge and Newark. Last week, however, some non-supermarket fuel stations in London’s Streatham and Mortlake areas were able to sell petrol at 124.9p a litre.

The cost of diesel has also continued to fall, down from an average of 139.12p a litre in mid October to 137.78p now. It had also hit a late summer high in the second week of September, reaching 142.88p.

At around 7p a litre more expensive than petrol, diesel’s differential is largely consistent with the November price gap over the past two years.

Edmund King, AA president, commented: ‘A company with 100 Ford Mondeos was spending typically £10,000 to fill them up with diesel in mid September, now it’s around £9,640. Last week, it was officially recognised that lower pump prices helped to bring inflation down to 2.2%.

‘You cannot understate the importance of lower pump prices. That is why, when the independent retailers say they would get significant savings from delaying the payment of fuel tax, the AA wholeheartedly supports the move if it helps the remote rural and other small petrol stations to survive.

‘But,’ King added, ‘in the many towns where our members and other drivers complain about pump prices being 5p-a-litre higher than a few miles up the road, extra relief for the retailers should be reciprocated with fairer pump prices.’