Petrol prices at a busy service station along the M4 have risen above £2 per litre, as motorists are warned that more forecourts could follow this summer.
As the RAC predicts that average petrol prices will hit that milestone this summer, data firm Experian Catalist reports that pumps in some places are already charging that much. Wiltshire Live reports that this includes Leigh Delamere, the motorway services between Bristol and Swindon.
A BP garage displayed the price of unleaded petrol at Leigh Delamare at 11.45am on June 8 was 202.9p per litre, while diesel reached 204.9p. The latest UK average petrol prices have risen to 180.7p, while diesel has increased to 177.9p, according to the AA.
READ MORE: Asda Longwell Green evacuated as man 'runs around store with knife'
Experian Catalist said a litre of petrol cost an average of 180.7p on Tuesday, an increase of 2.2p compared with the previous day. A similar increase on Wednesday will take the average cost of a full tank for a 55-litre family car to more than £100 for the first time.
Average diesel prices are also at a record high after they soared by nearly 6p per litre over the half-term school holiday. The AA said the average cost of a litre of the fuel at UK forecourts was a record 177.9p on Sunday, up from 172.1p on Friday, May 27.
AA fuel price spokesman Luke Bosdet previously said: “Shock and awe is the only way to describe what has been happening at the pump during the half-term break. Little wonder that nearly half of drivers stayed at home for the Jubilee extended bank holiday.
“The forces behind the surge have been oil jumping back above 120 US dollars a barrel for the first time since late March, combined with petrol commodity prices being boosted by summer motoring demand.”
Have you seen prices this high in Bristol? Let us know where by emailing bristolpostnews@localworld.co.uk or dropping us a message on our Facebook page
RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams described the record fuel prices as “frightening”. “With oil now above 120 US dollars a barrel and sterling still at 1.2 US dollars, worse is still to come,” he said. “Sadly, we expect to see the average price of petrol break through the 180p mark this week, with diesel moving further towards 190p.
"More radical government intervention is urgently needed, whether that’s in the form of a further reduction in fuel duty or a VAT cut. As it is, drivers surely won’t be able to cope unless something is done to help. This is fast becoming a national crisis for the country’s 32 million car drivers as well as countless businesses.”
Follow the latest updates on this story and others like it here
