Tank of diesel costs £12 more

FUELLING a family car is up to £12 more expensive than it was less than two years ago, figures show.

An increase of 2p last month has pushed up the average cost of a tank of unleaded by £3.55 to £66.43 and a tank of diesel by £4.50 to £67.75.

This means a tank of unleaded is £10 more expensive than in February 2016, while the figure for diesel is £11.65.

Last month a litre of unleaded went up from 118.43p to 120.78p and diesel from 120.96p to 123.18p after the price of oil nudged past $60 a barrel. In February 2016 both fuels cost an average of 102p a litre.

Household finances are already under pressure with inflation at 3 per cent, and drivers have also been hit by soaring motor insurance premiums.

Simon Williams, from the RAC, which published the figures, said: ‘This offers little cheer in the run-up to Christmas when many will be expecting to have to fuel up more often than normal.’