Petrol prices could reach as high as £2.50 per litre and diesel could soar to £3 per litre as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine keeps pushing oil prices, MPs have been told.
Dr Amrita Sen, director of research at Energy Aspects, told the Treasury Committee that Britons can expect the current trend at the pump to continue as long as crude prices climb.
Prices at the pump have jumped in recent weeks, reaching a succession of fresh highs amid the Ukraine crisis. The latest UK forecourt figures from the data firm Experian Catalist again broke records, with the average cost of a litre of petrol on Sunday hitting 163.5p, while diesel was 173.4p.
Read more: Wales and Scotland want to be Ukrainian refugee ‘super-sponsors’
Dr Sen said the group was working on the assumption that the price of crude oil could “easily” rise by 50%.
She said: “If you do it on the basis of crude oil, we’re saying it could easily go up by 50%. Assuming no tax changes implemented by the government, [petrol] could end up being £2.40 per litre.”
She said that because of diesel’s role in industry, it “could go to £2.50, even closer to £3. That’s definitely within the realms of possibility.”
Sen added that diesel was likely to be rationed in Germany before the end of March and that the same could happen in the UK.
New pump price records have been set daily in the past week with the average cost rising 5.4p per litre since last Sunday. This has added nearly £3 to the cost of filling up a typical 55-litre tank in a week bringing the bill to just over £88.50, the AA said.
This comes as petrol and diesel prices reached a new high across the UK as demand for oil increases.
Previously, supply-chain issues sent fuel skyrocketing last year and now businesses are cutting off ties to Russian oil which is driving the demand.
It still means it's worth looking around for the best prices when looking to fill up your car – supermarket forecourts usually offer the cheapest fuel prices. This is because of the market power supermarkets hold – the big names like Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons are all in competition with one another so they keep fuel prices as low as possible hoping that when motorists come to fill their tank they might do their weekly grocery shopping too.
What should be done to keep the cost of petrol and diesel down? Have your say in the comments section.
But how have the price increases affected the cost of petrol where you live? We checked the latest prices of unleaded as recorded on petrol station comparison website PetrolPrices.com.
It is worth noting that the website relies on users submitting prices therefore the price recorded on the site for each station may slightly differ from the actual price depending on how recent the last submission for that station was.
Here are the cheapest and most expensive places to fill up with unleaded within five miles of your local area.
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Cardiff
Cheapest:
153.7p - Morrisons, Newport Road, CF23 9AQ
153.7p - Morrisons, International Drive, Cardiff Bay, CF11 0JP
- 153.7p - Morrisons, Ty Glas, CF14 5EP
154.9p - Tesco St Mellons, Crickhowell Road, CF3 0EF
156.9p - Esso, Cowbridge Road East, CF5 1BP
Most expensive:
- 169.9p - Texaco, Tudor Street,CF11 6AF
167.9p - Park White Dove Service Station, Hadfield Road, CF11 8WD
Swansea
Cheapest:
152.7p - Morrisons Swansea, Brunel Way, SA1 7DF
155.8p - Texaco Conway, Pentregethin Road, SA5 8AQ
155.9p - Tesco Swansea Llansamlett Extra, Nantyffin Road, SA7 9RD
157p - Texaco, Cockett, SA2 0FD
157.9p - Texaco, Eagle Service Station, SA5 9AX
Most expensive:
- 183.9p M4 Swansea Moto Motorway Service Area, M4 J47, SA4 9GT
- 175.9p - Newton Garage, Newton Road, SA3 4ST
Newport
Cheapest:
- 154.7p - Morrisons Rogerstone, Azalea Road, NP10 9SA
155.9p - Morrisons Cwmbran, St David's Road, NP44 3XU
- 157.8p - Texaco Commercial Street, NP11 6EE
- 157.9p - Tesco Newport Gwent Extra, NP20 3BA
- 157.9p - BP Malpas Road, NP20 6NF
Most expensive:
- 168.9p - Gulf, Chepstow Road, NP18 2JN
- 166.9p - Esso, Chepstow Road, NP19 8BY
Rhondda Cynon Taf
Cheapest:
159.9p - Murco Ferndale, CF43 4ST
159.9p - Texaco Porth, CF39 9SH
160.7p - ASDA Tonypandy, CF40 2JQ
160.7p - Asda Aberdare, Tirfounder Fields, CF44 0BE
162.9p - Tesco Aberdare, Depot Road, CF44 8DL
Most expensive:
- 165.9p - Texaco Aberdare, CF44 0PN
- 165.9p - Gulf, Aberdare, CF44 0AG
Bridgend
Cheapest:
155.9p - Murco Pen y Fai Service Station, Tondu Road, CF31 4L
155.9p - Texaco Cowbridge Road, CF31 3DH
157.0p - Applegreen Bridgend, CF31 1TZ
157.9p - Sainsburys Bridgend, CF32 9ST
158.9p - M4 Sarn services, CF32 9SY
Most expensive:
164.9p - Texaco Crossroads Filling Station, A473, CF35 5HY
163.9p - Texaco Coychurch Road, CF35 5NH
Carmarthen
Cheapest:
- 157.9p - Morrisons Carmarthen, Llanelli Road, SA31 2NF
- 158.9p - Johnstown Murco Service Station, Old St Clears Road, SA31 3HL
- 159.9p - Texaco, Llysonnen Road, SA33 5DT
Most expensive:
- 168.9p - Nantycaws petrol station, SA32 8BG
- 165.9p - Whitemill Service Station, A40, SA32 7EN
Wrexham
Cheapest:
- 153.7p - Morrisons Wrexham, Ruthin Road, LL13 7TU
- 156.9P - Tesco Wrexham Extra, LL13 8HF
156.9p - Nisa, Taurus Service Station, LL13 9EB
Most expensive:
- 165.9p - Shell Holt Road Services, LL13 9SB
- 164.9p - Caergwrle Filling Sation, Mold Road, LL12 9LN
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