A technical glitch at a Tesco fuel station in Milton, Cambridgeshire, briefly allowed motorists to secure some of the cheapest petrol and diesel in the country, with costs falling to as low as £1.36 per litre.
An apparent system error saw fuel prices revert to last year's substantially lower rates. Unleaded petrol should have been sold at £1.76 a litre, but the fault meant it was actually priced at £1.36 per litre.
Pumps shut down after staff spot error
Super unleaded fees were cut to £1.46 per litre, while diesel rates dropped to £1.43 per litre instead of close to £2. It is understood that supermarket staff spotted the error and quickly shut down the pumps, but some motorists had already taken advantage of the savings.
According to The Sun, driver Dave Edmunds said: “I couldn’t believe it. I filled up my tank thinking they would notice the mistake but they didn’t — I’ve saved so much money.” Another road user told The Sun: “I managed to fill up half my tank before the staff realised and suddenly turned off the pumps.”
Tesco remains most expensive supermarket
According to data from RAC Fuel Watch, Tesco currently has the most expensive petrol in the UK with average fees standing at 173p per litre. This is higher than the UK supermarket average of 172.7p per litre and higher than its three rival chains.
Sainsbury’s currently has the cheapest petrol in the country, with road users paying just 172.1p per litre to fill up. Asda and Morrisons were next, with both stores currently selling petrol for 172.8p per litre. Sainsbury’s was also the cheapest for diesel in the UK, with average pump prices at 196.6p per litre, almost 1p per litre more affordable than Tesco, which is selling diesel at 197.5p.
Motorists desperate to secure the absolute cheapest rates near them can take advantage of the Government's Fuel Finder scheme launched earlier this year. Prices are collected by fuel stations and then sent to third-party services such as the AA and RAC, with some data now even being shared on Google Maps. The Express has contacted Tesco for further comment.
