Diesel drivers are facing an extra £30.45 charge at the petrol pumps from Friday as prices push to 'highest ever' peaks, according to the RAC. The breakdown experts told Good Morning Britain that diesel could hit its highest ever price today (Friday, September 25) with no end in sight to the rises.
Record fuel costs for UK motorists
The RAC explained that a tank of diesel for a 55-litre family car now costs £108.76 on average, while a tank of petrol costs £95.33. Diesel is now 197.95p per litre on average, while petrol is 173.32p per litre.
The figures represent a jump of £22.77 more for petrol drivers and £30.45 extra charges for diesel drivers, compared to the start of the Iran-US war on February 28.
Knock-on effect on supermarket prices
The price rises will also have a knock-on effect on the price of goods on supermarket shelves, as transport fuel costs are passed onto the consumer.
Donald Trump insisted oil prices will plummet once the conflict with Iran is over and defended his military action despite the global economic chaos it has unleashed. The US president, speaking after talks with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, said “people understand” the need to prevent Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon, even if that meant price hikes at the petrol pumps and in shops.
Political response to the crisis
Mr Burnham had said before the talks he would stress the need to end the conflict as soon as possible because of the impact it was having on the cost-of-living crisis in the UK. Asked if he had sympathy with countries like the UK suffering from high prices because of the Iran conflict, Mr Trump said: “I think as soon as the war is over, the numbers are going to come way down, pricing generally, because oil is the big thing.”
“When oil goes up – and we had to do that because we have to stop them, and I think we feel very united on that, we can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.” Ahead of the New York meeting with Mr Trump in the United Nations building, Mr Burnham was asked whether he would encourage the US leader to bring the conflict to an end because of the economic impact it was having.
Mr Burnham said: “Of course the message is that we want to see an end to the conflict as quickly as possible and we stand ready to play our part.” In a readout of the meeting, Downing Street confirmed “the leaders spoke about the importance of reopening global shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and how Iran must never have a nuclear weapon, with the Prime Minister noting how the conflict clearly impacted the cost of living at home”.
