Motorists across the UK are having to wince when they pay for petrol as the price at the pumps continues to be at record highs. Some areas of the country are having it worse than others, especially when petrol prices are compared to average wages.
A study has shown that the North East of England is the area of the country with the most unaffordable petrol. Energy experts at Boiler Central used data from the ONS and Experian to calculate the cost of 55 litres of petrol as a percentage of each UK region’s average weekly wage.
Residents in the North East pay a larger percentage of their weekly wages on fuel than any other region, despite also having the lowest average cost for a full tank at £100.83. This is because the North East has the lowest average weekly wage at £593, meaning that the cost of 55 litres of petrol takes up 17% of the average weekly wage in the North East.
Northern Ireland has the second least affordable fuel in the country, with residents paying an average of 16.73% of their weekly wages on petrol. At £101.71 for 55 litres, petrol is slightly more expensive in Northern Ireland than it is in the North East. Coupled with this is the fact that Northern Ireland has the second-lowest weekly wages in the UK, at £608.
At the other end of the spectrum is London, which is the UK region in which the average cost of petrol represents the lowest percentage of the average weekly wage. This is despite the capital having the highest average cost of 55 litres of petrol at £102.32 because it also has by far the highest average weekly wage at £867. This means that Londoners, on average, spend 11.8% of their weekly wage on fuel.
A spokesperson for Boiler Central said of the findings: “As the cost of living crisis takes its toll on people up and down the country, it is clear to see that there are some regions that are worse affected than others. Rising fuel costs have been a particularly harsh contributor to the squeeze, and the slight regional difference in petrol costs is no match for the huge gaps in average wages across the country.
"Like heating at home, petrol is a necessity. People need it for work, school runs, family visits, shopping, and all manner of other activities.”
You can see the research below.
| |
Average gross weekly wage (£) |
Average price of 1 litre (pence) |
Price for 55 litres (£) |
55L as percentage of weekly wage |
North East |
593 |
183.32 |
100.83 |
17 |
Northern Ireland |
608 |
184.92 |
101.71 |
16.73 |
Yorkshire and The Humber |
610 |
184.63 |
101.55 |
16.65 |
Wales |
619 |
183.96 |
101.18 |
16.35 |
East Midlands |
622 |
184.46 |
101.45 |
16.31 |
West Midlands |
628 |
184.84 |
101.66 |
16.19 |
North West |
650 |
184.59 |
101.52 |
15.62 |
South West |
658 |
184.98 |
101.74 |
15.46 |
Scotland |
665 |
184.97 |
101.73 |
15.3 |
East of England |
734 |
184.53 |
101.49 |
13.83 |
South East |
787 |
185.25 |
101.89 |
12.95 |
London |
867 |
186.04 |
102.32 |
11.8 |
