AA in petrol price blast

Dec 31 2009 by Andy Newport, Paisley Daily Express

AA bosses have blasted scrooge petrol station bosses who have kept fuel prices high despite a fall in wholesale costs.

The average price of petrol has fallen 0.42p from 108.74p per litre in mid-November to 108.32p now. This compares with a nearly 2p-a-litre drop in petrol wholesale prices since the start of the month.

The AA said Buddies are being taken advantage of over the festive period.

“Up until now, fuel retailers have been largely blameless for higher fuel prices – leaving that dubious honour to government fuel duty and stock market speculators.

“But this sting in the tail of 2009 is clearly unacceptable when set against a track of gradually falling wholesale prices before last week’s plunge,” says Edmund King, the AA’s president.

“Drivers can’t expect to pay 103.9p a litre for petrol in every town, but being charged as much as 5p a litre more at the cheapest outlets in large towns well served by supermarkets is a rip-off.

“Perhaps worse, many high street shops are discounting like mad to grab a share of this festive season’s trade and they will be angry to find out that potential consumer spending is being siphoned off by over-priced petrol,” he added.