GMB correspondent Nick Dixon has been told he made a 'schoolboy error' after sharing his experience of an early morning visit to a petrol station. The former Scotland Today reporter took to X on Tuesday to post a photo of the prices displayed at a forecourt, writing: "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."
Fans react to fuel post
His remarks came as diesel prices on Monday reached a record high, with RAC figures placing the average cost at 199.33p a litre. The surge follows a spike in fuel prices triggered by the conflict involving Iran. Responses to the journalist's post came flooding in rapidly.
Mark Aldrich offered blunt advice, commenting: "The fact that you're using a motorway services to fill in the first place is a schoolboy error! Only the desperate and those with All Star Fuel Cards and fully expensed company cars ever fill up on the motorway!"
X user Darth Wader was equally forthright, stating: "Anyone stupid enough to go to a motorway service station to fill up their car deserves to pay £2.20 a litre." Sir Dave Grey-Fox echoed the sentiment, asking: "Who fills up at a service station?" while CaravanDog chimed in with: "Why does anyone buy fuel at a motorway station?"
Warnings over rising costs
Milksteak23 echoed that sentiment, noting: "People who depend on their cars shouldn't fill up on the motorway." The user Harris Tottle added: "Anyone that doesn't plan to find the nearest supermarket to fill up and avoid motorway services is bonkers."
Others took an even blunter approach. Jules Dingle stated: "Who uses motorway service stations even in normal years? You are either desperate, stupid, or have someone else paying for your fuel." Meanwhile, Tony McDonnell made a straightforward point, noting: "Motorway services are not an accurate example of price."
One motorist expressed concern about such costs potentially reaching her area. Caroline warned: "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 government
The Iran conflict has disrupted both production and transportation of fuel from the Middle East. Governments worldwide face mounting pressure to act as domestic fuel prices climb due to constrained supply.
Across the Atlantic, Donald Trump is confronting demands from within his own party to prohibit diesel exports in an effort to reduce domestic costs - though his energy secretary Chris Wright recently suggested such action might backfire. Meanwhile, Germany and Spain have reduced fuel taxation.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey are now facing mounting pressure to act and relieve the financial strain on UK motorists. 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 confirmed on Monday that such matters would be addressed at the Budget on October 28. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he said: "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."
