Diesel car drivers overcharged by 16p a litre in April – RAC

Drivers of diesel cars have been overcharged by 16p per litre during April despite the wholesale price of the fuel being lower than petrol.

According to data from RAC Fuel Watch, diesel is now six pence cheaper than petrol on the wholesale market, yet drivers are ‘losing out’ because of high prices at the pumps.

During the month a litre of diesel cost an average of 159.43p, while petrol remained unchanged at 146.5p.

It’s the sixth month that the average price of a litre of fuel has fallen at the pumps, yet wholesale prices are yet to be reflected. A litre of wholesale diesel was 104.88p on April 28 – down nine pence in the month – yet unleaded was 111.25p, down six pence in April.

Apart from Northern Ireland where diesel averages 147.47p, diesel in the rest of the UK remains 13p more expensive on the forecourt. The RAC states that the true figure that drivers should be paying is 143p per litre ‘at the very most’.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “Diesel drivers across the UK mainland continue to lose out badly at the pumps. They’re paying 13p a litre more for the fuel than petrol, despite diesel being cheaper for retailers to buy on the wholesale market for all of April.

“Action at a government level is badly needed to stop drivers being ripped off any longer. While we’re not in favour of prices being capped – as we feel this could lead to smaller retailers in rural areas not being able to compete and going out of business to the detriment of the communities they serve – we feel there should be an obligation on the biggest retailers to charge fairer prices in relation to wholesale market movements.”

Filling an average 55-litre family car with petrol now stands at £80.60, whereas it’ll cost £87.69 to fill up a diesel-powered alternative. The RAC says that if diesel were being sold at the ‘fairer’ price of 143p litre, it would save drivers up to £9 per tank.