Petrol Prices Drop But Drivers Still Getting Ripped Off, Warns RAC
Despite petrol and diesel prices falling by 6p a litre in November, UK drivers aren’t feeling the full benefits at the pumps. New data from RAC Fuel Watch reveals the cuts should have been twice as big.
Unleaded fell from 165.96p to 159.88p a litre, and diesel dropped from 190.31p to 183.87p—saving motorists over £3 per full tank. Filling a 55-litre family petrol car now costs £87.93, while diesel drivers cough up £101.13.
Fuel Giants Raking In Fat Margins
So why aren’t prices reflecting the wholesale market plunge? The wholesale cost of petrol tumbled 11p in November alone—from 122.63p to 111.53p—with diesel plunging 15p to 128p a litre. The RAC says the prices at the pump should average 146p for petrol and 169p for diesel. But instead, motorists are paying 14p to 15p more than they should.
This means retailers are pocketing shockingly high margins—more than 20p a litre. For cash-strapped UK drivers, it’s a bitter pill to swallow as they struggle to cover everyday journeys.
Supermarket Fuel Deals Fail to Deliver
Supermarket petrol prices dropped 6p to 158.31p per litre in November but are now only 1.6p cheaper than the UK average. Diesel fell just 3.7p to 182.74p—only a penny below the nationwide average. Normally, supermarket fuel is a solid 3.5p per litre cheaper, but those savings are vanishing fast.
RAC Calls Out Fuel Retailers Over ‘Rocket and Feather’ Pricing
RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “It’s bordering on a scandal that drivers are being overcharged so much because the big four supermarkets, which dominate UK fuel retailing, are flatly refusing to reduce their prices by bigger amounts. Their prices are dropping like a feather when they should be falling like a stone. “In 10 years of monitoring prices we’ve never seen such high margins for so long. Before the pandemic, wholesale price drops of 4p saw supermarkets fiercely competing with price cuts. That’s gone. “Now, big retailers cling onto huge profits, which keeps UK fuel prices artificially high across the board. Smaller independent forecourts, who need bigger margins to survive, have thankfully chopped their prices massively. Some are selling petrol as low as 140p—a staggering 18p less than supermarkets. “While shops can charge what they want, it’s unfair that major retailers are squeezing hard-pressed consumers just before Christmas, charging over 10p more per litre than in the past. We urge drivers not to assume their local supermarket is cheapest—shop around. “This is probably the worst ‘rocket and feather’ pricing we’ve seen. We hope the Competition and Markets Authority is watching closely. Remember, the government’s 5p-a-litre fuel duty cut is still in place to help drivers.”
For UK motorists, it’s time to stay sharp, shop around, and don’t let the big retailers bleed your wallets dry this winter.
