Fury as petrol prices soar above £2 per litre as fuel cost hits record level

7 June 2022, 13:30 | Updated: 8 June 2022, 13:13

Furious drivers have told of their shock as they were being forced to pay more than £2 per litre at some motorway services in England as fuel prices hit record levels.

Fuel prices have already hit £2 per litre at some motorway service stations. At Washington South services on the A1 between Sunderland and Newcastle, LBC found a litre of unleaded cost an eye-watering £2.02 per litre. Diesel costs £2.04 at the same fuel station.

A Gulf petrol garage in Essex and another forecourt on the M6 in Cumbria were also selling fuel for more than £2-per-litre.

Angry drivers have told of their frustration at the soaring fuel costs amid the cost-of-living crisis with one motorist posting online: "Washington Services is currently selling petrol for £2.02 per litre. I’d sooner abandon my car and walk the A1."

Drivers seen at petrol station in Shepherd's Bush as fuel prices continue to rise

One driver whose local petrol station passed £1.80 a litre recently wrote: "My local station is now at this price and when I’m at uni, three days a week, I’ve been using around HALF of my weekly budget from universal credits on petrol and I’m a single mam of four year old twins."

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One person posted a picture of a BP filling station at Bromley Common where petrol was being sold at £1.97 per litre and diesel at £1.95 per litre. They wrote: “absolute joke.”

The RAC said it now costs £98 to fill the average car with petrol and £101.86 with diesel and pleaded for the Chancellor to take action. "With drivers facing such a dire situation on the forecourts, we badly need further intervention from the Chancellor," the group said in an online post.

Freight companies have reported that the cost of running one lorry is already up £20,000 on last year, leaving the haulage industry 'in crisis.'

Petrol prices set a new average record of 178.5p per litre this morning after soaring by 0.6p in just 24 hours. The cost of diesel also surged to an average price of 185.2p per litre in the largest weekly increase for both fuels since March.

Motorists have been warned that average fuel prices will hit £2 per litre this summer.

The RAC made the prediction in the face of rising oil prices and the weakening of the pound versus the US dollar.

Average diesel prices increased by 3.7p per litre over the same period, reaching 185.3p.

That was the largest weekly increase for both fuels since March.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: "With analysts predicting that oil will average 135 US dollars a barrel for the rest of this year, drivers need to brace themselves for average fuel prices rocketing to £2 a litre, which would mean a fill-up would rise to an unbelievable £110.

"The oil price is rising due to increased demand for fuel across the world as China eases its Covid restrictions and America and Europe go into the peak summer driving season.

"All this combined with a weaker pound at 1.2 US dollars means wholesale fuel costs more for retailers to buy.

"The wholesale price of diesel is fast approaching 160p a litre which, when you add 7p retailer margin and 20% VAT, would take the pump price over the £2 mark.

"We strongly urge the Government to take drastic action to help soften the impact for drivers from these never-before-seen pump prices."

The Treasury cut fuel duty by 5p per litre in March.

AA fuel price spokesman Luke Bosdet said: "Shock and awe is the only way to describe what has been happening at the pump during the half-term break.

"Little wonder that nearly half of drivers stayed at home for the Jubilee extended bank holiday.

"The forces behind the surge have been oil jumping back above 120 US dollars a barrel for the first time since late March, combined with petrol commodity prices being boosted by summer motoring demand."

Separate pump price figures from data firm Experian Catalist - which uses a different methodology to the Government - suggest the average cost of a litre of petrol on Monday was 178.5p, with diesel at 185.2p.