Time to stop the opportunistic profiteering at the pumps, says FairFuelUK

We are entering a period of supermarket pump pricing war that will be eagerly welcomed by 37m UK drivers. In fact, if it were not for these big four fuel retailers, prices on the smaller independent forecourts would probably be even higher than they are now.

At the FairFuelUK APPG pump pricing inquiry held this week in Westminster, the Petrol Retailers Association admitted to MPs that supermarkets are definitely driving down pump prices and so their 6,000 members have no choice to reluctantly follow.

But with wholesale diesel at lows of 96p and petrol 97p there is absolutely no excuse for seeing the current pump prices across the UK average at the significant high levels of 109.4p (diesel) and 106.9p (petrol). They should be substantially lower and are definitely being artificially inflated for maximum profit.

Quentin Willson, Lead Campaigner for FairFuelUK said: ‘It seems the Independents are deliberately stopping fuel prices drop in line with the current wholesale prices for as long as they can get away with it. By keeping pump prices at exceptionally high levels for opportunistic profit, it is they who are stopping consumers fill their tanks at fairer market prices.’

Howard Cox, Founder of the FairFuelUK Campaign said: ‘It’s already grossly wrong that UK drivers are punished with the highest fuel tax in Europe, but they are even more angered by the fact that independent garages are not passing on the latest falls in wholesale levels to the pumps in the right amounts. And even more galling to our 1.2m supporters, diesel continues to be higher priced than petrol when its wholesale cost is less. This is nothing but pure greed through consumer exploitation. The Competitions and Market Authority should investigate immediately.’