Motorists fleeced by some of the highest prices in Europe, report showsPaying up to 43p more a litre for diesel, Post Office study found Motoring groups say garages are profiteering by failing to pass on benefits of diesel wholesale prices ByRay Massey Published: 19:53 EST, 6 June 2014 | Updated: 08:11 EST, 7 June 2014 0 View comments British motorists are being ripped off at the pumps and paying up to 43p a litre more than drivers on the Continent for their fuel, a damning new report reveals today. UK motorists are being fleeced by some the highest pump prices in Europe as even drivers in neighbouring France pay 29p a litre less for their diesel compared to Britain. Motoring groups say garages are ‘profiteering’ by dragging their feet and failing to pass on the benefits of falling wholesale prices of up to 6p a litre for diesel alone. Details are revealed today in the new Post Office Travel Money annual report into motoring. Motorists are being fleeced by some the highest pump prices in Europe, a report suggests The Post Office said even after exchange-rate discrepancies were stripped out, diesel on the Continent was still cheaper than Britain in 19 of the 22 countries surveyed: ‘It does smack of a rip-off.’ Chastened British supermarkets yesterday responded to the damning findings and angry criticism from motoring groups such as the RAC by cutting up to 2p off the cost of a litre of diesel – though critics said much more was needed. Drivers motoring through France will pay a staggering 29p a litre less for their diesel than in UK, the new Post Office report reveals. On diesel prices Britain finishes in a dismal 20th place out of 22 European countries surveyed with an average price of £1.37 a litre, compared to just 94p in cheapest Andorra – a difference of 43p a litre - and 99p in runner up Luxembourg, £1.08 in fourth place France and £1.11 in sixth place Spain. That means for a family driving 1,000 miles – 500 each way – a drive through France would be £44.26 less than for the same journey in the UK, with French bill coming to £163.17 compared to £207.42 in Britain. For fill-ups in cheapest Andorra the price difference would be £65.56. Price differences also exist on petrol prices though the gaps are less dramatic with the UK in 12th place out of 22 at £1.31 a litre compared to £1.04 in cheapest Andorra,£1.11 in runner-up Luxembourg, £1.18 in sixth-place Spain and £1.26 in 10th place France. The Post office report says: ‘At £1.37, the UK emerged as one of the most expensive countries for diesel motoring.’ The price gap between fuels is also acute. On the Continent diesel is up to 27p a litre cheaper than unleaded petrol while in Britain it costs 6p more than four-star. Motoring groups say garages are ¿profiteering¿ by dragging their feet and failing to pass on the benefits of falling wholesale prices of up to 6p a litre for diesel On the bright side, the report says lower pump prices on the Continent generally and a stronger pound against the Euro will give UK drivers a bumper Summer bonus when motoring across Europe – especially neighbouring France. But experts advise cross-Channel drivers to fill-up on foreign soil rather than pay exorbitant prices in Britain. The Post office report notes: ‘Lower prices in European petrol stations mean that UK tourists on Continental motoring holidays can expect their cars to drive more miles for less cash this year. Fuelled by the strong pound, pump prices have fallen in 20 of 22 countries surveyed.’ Biggest price falls have been in France, with petrol down 15per cent and diesel dipping 18percent compared with last year, says the Post Office report. Spains prices have also fallen - with petrol down 4.8per cent and diesel down 4.3per cent. The Post Office report notes: ‘The biggest fall in the cost of unleaded petrol and diesel fuel has been in France, where the litre price is down 23p for unleaded and 24p for diesel. This year’s price fall means diesel drivers will pay 29p a litre less in France than in the UK.’ It adds: ‘A combination of cheaper fuel and the strong pound means UK tourists can expect to pay 15 per cent less for unleaded petrol (£1.26) and 18 per cent less for diesel (£1.08) at French pumps. ‘This means that 1,000 miles of motoring through France will cost £45 less than last year in a car using unleaded petrol (£191) and £47 less for diesel drivers (£163). ‘ Details are revealed today in the new Post Office Travel Money annual report into motoring Prices are also down this year in two other European destinations popular with UK holiday motorists – Spain and Ireland. In Spain, where four out of ten (38 per cent) said they have driven, pump prices are down 6p a litre for unleaded (£1.18) and 5p for diesel fuel (£1.11). A third of motorists said they had driven in Ireland, where a litre of unleaded petrol is 13p now cheaper than last year (£1.28). Overall, the report noted: ‘Pump prices have fallen by up to 24p per litre year-on-year in European motoring holiday destinations.’ Austria (£1.14 a litre), Czech Republic (£1.15) and Switzerland (£1.17) also offer comparatively cheap petrol, while Greece (£1.07 a litre), France (£1.08) and Austria (£1.08) are among the best-buy countries for diesel. But UK motorists looking for the best fuel deals would do well to avoid Norway which has the dearest petrol (£1.65 a litre) and the most-expensive diesel (£1.50). Other countries where fuel costs are high include Turkey, where petrol is £1.55 a litre, and Holland where it costs £1.51. Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money urged drivers to do their homework before traveling:‘In France, especially, it will pay drivers crossing to French ports to fill up when they reach foreign soil because of the big drop in fuel prices there.’ RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said UK garages were dragging their feet and that their actions smacked of profiteering: ‘Fuel retailers must reduce the price of diesel at the pumps as the wholesale cost is now almost the same as petrol - yet average forecourt prices are still 6p a litre more expensive. ‘Transparent, fair fuel pricing is vital for the economy and to maintain the trust of motorists. While two thirds of Britain’s 29million cars run on petrol we use twice as much diesel, around 26billion litres a year.’ Ahead of the damning Post Office report, Asda cut up to 2p a litre off its diesel with a price cap of 131.7p a litre. Petrol prices remain unchanged at 127.7p a litre. Asda said significant falls in the wholesale price of diesel allowed it to pass on cost savings directly to its customers. dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2651202/Rip-Britain-motorists-pay-highest-pump-prices-Europe-43p-Andorra-29p-litre-France-diesel.html
Posted on: Tue, 10 Jun 2014 14:52:00 +0000
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