Petrol prices have smashed records again, leaving drivers reeling as a full tank now tops £100 for the first time ever.
Petrol Hits Shocking £1.82 Per Litre
After the biggest jump in 17 years on 7 June — petrol surged 2.23p to 180.73p per litre — prices climbed even higher the very next day. On 8 June, unleaded petrol rose another 1.58p to 182.31p. Diesel wasn’t spared either, hitting a fresh high of 188.05p from 186.57p.
RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said bluntly: “It’s a truly dark day today for drivers. Petrol has smashed through the depressing £100-a-tank barrier (£100.27). Diesel’s worse – a staggering £103.43.”
Supermarket Prices Skyrocket
Petrol stations are pushing the limits, with supermarket unleaded now averaging 175.91p per litre — up 2.5p — and diesel soaring nearly 2p to 184.13p.
Howard Cox, founder of the FairFuelUK campaign, warns prices will keep climbing: “Expect petrol to hit 183p and diesel 193p within a month.” Both Cox and the RAC want the government to act fast.
Government Fuel Duty Cut ‘Paltry’
Williams slammed the government’s fuel duty cut as paltry amid soaring wholesale costs. “The 5p cut from March feels like a drop in the ocean compared to the 25p whack drivers faced since the Spring Statement.”
He called for more help — slashing fuel duty further or cutting VAT temporarily to ease pressure on drivers, especially those on tight budgets who rely on their cars.
Fuel duty stands at 53p per litre. On top of that, VAT has jumped from 25p to around 30p per litre since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — padding government coffers even as drivers suffer.
Calls for Tougher Government Action
Howard Cox said the Treasury is raking in a “shed load of VAT” thanks to high prices, and urged that money be used to fund a 20p per litre fuel duty cut. He also pressed for an independent pump pricing watchdog to keep fuel firms in check.
