Forecourt prices hit £5 a gallon

Nov 20 2009 Maurice Glover

Forecourt prices hit £5 a gallon

THE £5 gallon has returned to fuel station forecourts to put an extra squeeze on family motoring budgets.

Diesel prices in the UK have risen by an average of 3.78p per litre - the highest monthly rise this year - to take pump prices to an average 110.02p. Petrol prices went up 3.67p per litre to 108.74p, according to the AA's fuel price report for November.

'Consumers are being hit when they fill up and when the higher cost of transporting goods is passed on in the shop. This once again puts a tighter squeeze on family budgets and undermines high street spending,' says spokesman Paul Wetters.

Unlike this time last year when supermarkets were slashing pump prices, the average price of supermarket fuel has risen more than four pence a litre for petrol and diesel compared to around 3.75p for fuel prices in general making branded filling stations such as Esso, Shell, Jet and Murco cheaper.

'For drivers looking to drop in and only fill up their tank, going to a supermarket may not be the cheapest option. Non-supermarket filling stations with mini-stores attached are now giving supermarkets a run for their money,' says Mr Wetters.