A1 services priciest in whole UK
MOTORISTS PAY MORE AT DURHAM COMPARED TO OTHERS
A DURHAM service station has been named as one of the most expensive in the country.
Insurer Admiral had mystery shoppers test 21 motorway service stations across the UK to find out which was the most expensive.
Shoppers bought drinks and snacks that included a cold sausage roll, a packet of ready salted crisps, a packet of wine gums, a bar of chocolate and a bottle of Coke.
Roadchef’s Durham services on the A1 (M) came out the most expensive of the 21 tested.
The price was almost £10 more expensive than if the items had been bought in the supermarket, researchers said.
But a Roadchef spokesman said that Durham had to buy in sandwiches rather than making them on site, like most of its outlets.
He said that most items were priced the same across their sites, were competitive and give customers a range of choices.
He added: “Like all our sites Durham resembles a mini high street, and offers premium and value options depending on our customers’ preferences.”
The reason for costs being higher at service stations, he said, is because they operate 24 hours every day, unlike many town and city centre retailers.
They are also faced with costs to maintain land and may have to pay water treatment works.
Admiral said that the research is only a snapshot of 21 UK service stations taken during October, out of more than 100 in the UK. Prices could change and promotions could bring prices down.
The research found that a bottle of water costs four times more than in a supermarket, with a 500ml bottle costing up to £2.29.
The average price of a bottle of water was £1.32 more expensive than a 44p bottle that could be found in a supermarket.
Clare Egan, head of motor product at Admiral, said: “We all expect to pay a little more for convenience, [but] grabbing the essentials from home or at least a supermarket before setting off could result in some big savings on the overall cost of your journey.
“Given the availability of free water refills at all of the service stations and the push to be plastic-free, motorists don’t need to spend anything on bottled water.”
Big differences were also found in the price of petrol at the station, with unleaded varying by 20p a litre.
If motorists were stopping for a coffee, the price of a regular latte also varied by £2 depending on the station.