Petrol stations fail to pass on full fuel cuts
SERVICE stations are only partially passing on the reduction in fuel duty announced by Rishi Sunak this week.
Petrol has fallen just 2.71p and diesel only 1.59p, the AA has found.
This was despite the Chancellor saying the 5p cut in the tax was effective from 6pm onWednesday.
Across the UK the average price being paid for petrol was 164.59p a litre after the duty cut came into force.
Diesel drivers had to find 178.13p a litre.
These are slight falls from Tuesday when petrol and diesel pump prices jumped to new records at 167.3p and 179.72p.
But Mr Sunak in his Spring Statement said the duty would immediately be reduced by 5p, worth 6p once VAT is added, until March next year.
Luke Bosdet, the AA’s fuel price spokesman, said: “The Chancellor rode to the rescue of drivers on Wednesday and, even before the 6pm start of the fuel duty cut, drivers were reporting the price cut at some Asda forecourts.
Soaring
“However, on Thursday, the average price of petrol showed that less than half (2.71p) of the fuel duty cut had been passed on.”
Drivers have faced record pump prices since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to soaring oil costs.
The Chancellor promised to alleviate the burden on motorists by announcing the biggest reduction to fuel duty rates “ever”.
He told MPs on Wednesday: “Today, I can announce that for only the second time in 20 years, fuel duty will be cut.
“Not by one, not even by two, but by 5p per litre.”
The RAC has criticised Mr Sunak for not going far enough to help drivers.
Its policy chief Nicholas Lyes described the cut as “a drop in the ocean” as it will “only take prices back to where they were just over a week ago”.
Mr Bosdet added drivers have to accept that, for many forecourts, the duty cut will come through with the next delivery of fuel.
However, he agreed the size of the fall was very disappointing.