Rising fuel prices top £1.80 a litre in Halton
FUEL prices have hit about £1.80 a litre in part of Halton as costs at the pump rise around the region.
Qubec garage on Halton Brow was selling petrol for 179.9p a litre and diesel at 183.9p a litre when he Weekly News visited on Friday, March 11.
The prices equate to almost £1.80 and £1.84.
Drivers have been facing soaring fuel costs in recent weeks and months.
The Liverpool Echo reported on March 10 that two petrol stations in parts of Merseyside were displaying prices close to £2 per litre for diesel.
Texaco fuel station in Bromborough, Wirral, was displaying unleaded for 176.9p per litre and diesel at 194.9p a litre, while in Ainsdale , Southport, a Shell petrol station was spotted selling unleaded at 175.9p and diesel at 193.9p a litre.
The Echo reported the average cost of a litre of diesel was 167.4p on Wednesday, March 9, following an increase of 5.1p from the start of the week.
By Friday, March 11, the average price of petrol had reached 161.06p a litre, and diesel was 170.09p a litre, according to the RAC, which warned that prices had already reached a thenrecord high of 151.25p a litre by February 27.
It said the cost to fill a family car was up £3 from the start of the year and £15 from a year ago.
The RAC said wholesale price rises were to blame, with Russia’s expanded invasion of Ukraine “primarily to blame” for continuing oil price increases, but added production was lagging behind demand.
In a statement issued at the start of the month, RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “February was undoubtedly a shocking month for drivers.
“A rise of 4.5p in any month is bad enough but when it takes pump prices to record levels, it’s bound to hurt households across the UK.
“Motorists are having to endure successive months of rising prices and, sadly, it doesn’t look as though February will be the last.
“While prices were rising due to oil production not being able to keep up with demand as life becomes more normal again, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused the barrel price to shoot past the $100 a barrel mark for the first time in nearly eight years making wholesale fuel far more expensive.
“We know from RAC research that eight in 10 drivers would struggle to get by without their cars and that the pandemic has made access to a car even more important than ever, but the exorbitant cost of filling up may force people to cut down on non-essential journeys to save money.
“The RAC is now calling on The Treasury to look at an emergency, temporary cut in the VAT rate levied on fuel to ease some of the pain drivers are facing and to better protect them from upcoming rises.”
Information relating to other higher-than-average fuel prices in Halton can be emailed to oliver.clay@reachplc.com.