Rising oil prices are once again putting pressure on UK drivers, with the cost of fuel at the pumps climbing sharply in recent days, and further rises are looking increasingly likely.
According to the RAC, average petrol and diesel prices have surged since the end of February, driven largely by a spike in wholesale oil costs, which are a knock-on effect of the conflict and tensions in the Middle East. The RAC’s head of policy, Simon Williams, says the pace of the increases is already being felt by motorists across the country.
“Average petrol and diesel prices have rocketed in the last week and are unfortunately likely to keep on rising, so the situation for UK drivers is looking increasingly bleak,” he said.
Williams explained that since Saturday, February 28, petrol has risen by around 5p to roughly 137.5p per litre, while diesel has climbed even faster, jumping 9p to around 151p per litre. Separate figures from the RAC also show petrol rising 3.7p to 136.53p and diesel climbing 6p to 148.35p in just a few days, pushing diesel to its highest level in 16 months.
For motorists, the increase quickly adds up, with filling a typical 55-litre family car with petrol now estimated to cost around £2 more than it did less than a week ago. Diesel drivers are worse off still, paying nearly £3.30 extra.
The bigger concern, however, is what might happen next.
“Unleaded is almost certainly going to reach an average of 140p in the next week or so while diesel looks highly likely to climb to at least 160p a litre,” Williams added. “With oil at a sustained $100, petrol could rise towards 150p a litre — a price not seen since June 2024 — while diesel could reach almost 180p, a three-year high.”
While wholesale costs often take around two weeks to filter through to forecourts, a recent jump in oil prices to around $85 a barrel suggests further increases could be on the horizon.
For now, the RAC advises motorists to keep filling up as normal, shop around for cheaper fuel locally, and drive as efficiently as possible to stretch every tank that little bit further.
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