Diesel prices in the UK are approaching an all-time high and are already the most expensive in Europe, according to the RAC. National reports suggest the country is running out of diesel, with fears rates could reach £3 per litre.
Record prices and supply fears
The RAC says the average price of diesel is teetering on the brink of a new all-time high at 198.32p, taking the cost of a 55-litre fill-up for a family car to £109. It said the UK now has the most expensive diesel in Europe by 12p a litre ahead of Finland and the Netherlands.
Adam Bell, a former energy department official and consultant at Stonehaven, was asked by the Daily Mail if £3 pump prices were a possibility in the event of a US diesel export ban. He said it was "currently unknowable with any real certainty".
Retailers pass on increases
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "The record of 199.09p will almost certainly be surpassed over the weekend as retailers continue to pass on the increases they're seeing when they buy new supply."
Petrol is now averaging 173.6p – its highest price in more than four years. Petrol has risen nearly 12p in September and more than 40p since the Iran War began. Diesel is up 14.5p this month alone and 55p since February 28.
"Sadly for drivers there appears to be no end in sight to high prices at the pumps as the cost of a barrel of oil hit $106 having been around that $100 mark for the last two weeks," Williams added. "A significant drop in the price of oil is badly needed but this seems unlikely without the US and Iran striking a deal."
Advice for drivers
Matt Crole-Rees, motoring expert at Confused.com, offered advice to drivers on how to make a tank of fuel last longer.
He said: "Filling up your car is becoming more expensive and drivers who rely on diesel are feeling it most. Most of us can't simply stop driving so it's about softening the blow rather than avoiding the pump."
"A lot comes down to where you are and where you choose to fill up as prices vary between regions and retailers. Supermarkets and local forecourts are usually cheaper than motorway services so it pays to shop around."
He added: "There are also simple ways to make a tank last longer and stretch your budget further." These include removing excess weight, as a heavier car makes the engine work harder and burn more fuel, keeping tyres inflated to the correct pressure, which reduces resistance and improves efficiency, easing off the accelerator and avoiding sharp braking on longer journeys, and avoiding unnecessary idling, so switching off the engine if you're stationary for more than a minute.
"Checking regularly and planning where to fill up can take some of the sting out of these record costs."
