GMB correspondent Nick Dixon has sparked a debate about where to buy fuel after posting a picture of diesel prices at a motorway service station in Sussex. The image, shared on X, showed fuel at 219.9p a litre at M23 services, which he said would cost almost £121 to fill a 55-litre tank.
In his post, Dixon wrote: "219.9p a litre for diesel at M23 services in Sussex this morning. That’s almost £121 to fill a 55-litre tank. A painful start to the day for anyone who depends on their car."
Reactions to the price
His comment came as diesel prices hit an all-time high on Monday, with the RAC reporting prices at 199.33p a litre. The surge follows the Iran war, which has affected fuel production and transportation from the Middle East. Many people responded to Dixon's post with the same advice: avoid motorway services.
Mark Aldrich commented: "The fact that you're using a motorway services to fill in the first place is a schoolboy error! Only the desperate & those with All Star Fuel Cards & fully expensed company cars ever fill up on the motorway!" Another user, Darth Wader, said: "Anyone stupid enough to go to a motorway service station to fill up their car deserves to pay £2.20 a litre."
Wider impact on drivers
Other users echoed the sentiment, with Sir Dave Grey-Fox asking "Who fills up at a service station?" and CaravanDog saying "Why does anyone buy fuel at a motorway station?" Milksteak23 added: "People who depend on their cars shouldn't fill up on the motorway." Harris Tottle said anyone who doesn't plan to find a supermarket to avoid motorway services is "bonkers."
Some were more direct. Jules Dingle said: "Who uses motorway service stations even in normal years? You are either desperate, stupid, or have someone else paying for your fuel." Tony McDonnell observed: "Motorway services are not an accurate example of price." One woman, Caroline, expressed concern about prices spreading to Northern Ireland, saying: "It just hasn't reached that price here in N Ireland YET. But I am worried. I live 50 miles from a train, we have zero buses that go my work route on time for my work. I rely on my car to go to work! I've already noticed the increase from £1.60 to £2. Almost £60 a month extra."
Pressure on the Government
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey are under pressure to ease cost pressures for UK drivers. On Monday, RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "The UK might have limited leverage when it comes to ending the US/Iran war and ultimately bringing oil prices down, but the Government could take steps to ease the burden on drivers by lowering fuel duty further or reducing VAT. As things stand, another 5p a litre will be loaded onto pump prices by the Spring if the current fuel duty cut is fully reversed as planned. VAT receipts from fuel are also extremely high, so drivers will be watching this coming week's Labour party conference, and October's Budget, very carefully indeed."
Mr Healey said on Monday that the time to deal with such issues was at the Budget on October 28. He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I'm acutely concerned and conscious about how hard it is for families. I see that at the pumps myself. We can't remove the cost of living pressures, we can't remove the prices that people are having to pay, but where we can we will act and we will give people just a bit of breathing space, and the same goes for the cost to business."
