Rural areas hard hit as petrol prices rise

PRICES at the petrol pumps have reached an all-time high, while diesel is still a little short of its previous record, new data shows.

The average UK price of petrol hit 142.94p a litre on Sunday, beating the former record set in April 2012, by 0.46p.

Meanwhile, diesel prices reached 146.5p a litre on Sunday, just short of its all-time high of 147.93p.

Any rise in fuel prices has a disproportionate impact on people living in the countryside, who are generally more reliant on their cars due to inadequate public transport options. AA fuel price spokesman Luke Bosdet said: “Whether it’s down to oil producers, market speculators, Treasury taxes or struggling retailers trying to balance their margins, record pump prices must be saying to drivers with the means that it is time to make the switch to electric.

“As for poorer motorists, many of them now facing daily charges to drive in cities, there is no escape. It’s a return to cutting back on other consumer spending, perhaps even heating or food, to keep the car that gets them to work on the road.”

A 20-mile round trip today would cost around 25p for the driver of a small electric car with a cheap energy supplier.

For someone driving a small petrol car the same journey would cost 10 times more, the AA said.

As a result, switching to electric could save drivers around £800 a year, it added.

The data is calculated by Experian Catalist and provided to the RAC and AA. The latest figures are a major rise from the early days of the pandemic when the price of petrol collapsed to a low of 106.48p in May 2020.