Diesel drivers are being “ripped-off” on the pumps to the tune of round 16p per litre, based on a motoring group.
The RAC, together with others, has lengthy argued that British motorists and companies are paying over the chances for the gas – the engine behind the UK financial system – fanning the flames of inflation and the price of residing disaster within the course of.
RAC Gasoline Watch evaluation confirmed diesel was 6p a litre cheaper than petrol on the wholesale market on the finish of final month.
The common pump worth, nonetheless, stood at 159.43p whereas petrol was unchanged at 146.5p.
Whereas the report famous a 4p-per-litre drop for diesel at forecourts throughout April it mentioned costs in Northern Eire, the place there’s a gas worth transparency mechanism in place, have been extra reasonable at 147.47p.
It believed drivers ought to be paying round 143p “on the very most” for a litre of diesel.
Gasoline retailers have lengthy been accused of being fast to boost costs when wholesale prices spike and gradual to scale back them to replicate decrease prices.
UK drivers confronted document gas payments final 12 months when Russia’s struggle in Ukraine drove up the price of oil.
Gasoline turned a significant driver of inflation, which hit a 41-year excessive final autumn.
Prices have solely slowly eased as oil costs have come down from their June 2022 peak and supermarkets, which used to paved the way on gas worth cuts, signalled final 12 months that the times of low cost gas have been over as they focus their firepower on meals worth as a result of squeeze on family budgets.
Nonetheless, gas promotions are as soon as extra being utilized by shops as lures for cash-strapped customers.
The RAC mentioned grocery store diesel was 2.75p cheaper than the nationwide common worth whereas the determine stood at 3.5p for unleaded.
Motoring teams and marketing campaign teams have lengthy argued for better transparency over the worth of petrol however a Competitors and Markets Authority report final 12 months primarily gave retailers a clear invoice of well being.
RAC gas spokesman Simon Williams mentioned: “We really feel there ought to be an obligation on retailers to replicate wholesale worth actions on their forecourts.
“Sadly, the one place this appears to occur is in Northern Eire the place a litre of diesel is, extremely, being offered for 12p lower than the UK-wide common.
“Our knowledge reveals that the common retailer margin on a litre of diesel is a surprising 22p a litre in comparison with petrol which is round 8p.
“The long-term averages for each fuels is 7p which implies retailers are making 3 times what they’ve up to now for diesel. That is onerous for them to justify and equally onerous for diesel drivers to swallow.
“Motion at a authorities degree is badly wanted to cease drivers being ripped off any longer.”
Gordon Balmer, government director of the Petrol Retailers Affiliation which represents unbiased operators, responded: “The unbiased sector accounts for about 36% market share by gas sale whereas the supermarkets are market leaders at 45%.
“As a result of their market share, supermarkets are worth leaders and in lots of circumstances our members will use them as markers for pump costs when working in the identical space.
“This dynamic is now shifting, with many commentators noting that unbiased forecourts are more and more providing extra aggressive costs.”
A spokesperson for the British Retail Consortium, which represents the foremost retailers, mentioned: “The value of diesel has been falling persistently all through 2023 as retailers purpose to offer their prospects with the most effective worth for cash.”