Christmas fuel prices at Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury's drop to lowest level in years

Compared to 2 years ago, 9 months aft lipid prices soared owed to Russia's penetration of Ukraine, petrol is present 23.4p oregon £12.90 a vessel cheaper, portion diesel is 41.7p oregon £22.90 a vessel little expensive

Divers are expected to payment from the lowest Christmas substance prices since the pandemic, contempt a flimsy emergence successful November.

According to RAC Fuel Watch data, petrol roseate by a penny to 136.5p successful November – inactive 10.5p cheaper than the aforesaid clip past year. Diesel accrued by 1.8p to 142.25p, but was inactive 12p little costly than a twelvemonth ago.

This means that filling up a 55-litre household car present costs £75 for petrol and £78 for diesel – £5.75 and £6.60 little respectively than this clip past year. Compared to 2 years ago, 9 months aft lipid prices soared owed to Russia's penetration of Ukraine, petrol is present 23.4p oregon £12.90 a vessel cheaper, portion diesel is 41.7p oregon £22.90 a vessel little expensive.

The RAC reported that astatine the extremity of November, a litre of petrol bought astatine 1 of the large 4 supermarkets outgo 133.2p, 3.3p cheaper than the UK average, portion diesel was 138.6p, 3.6p little than the mean terms connected UK forecourts.

Northern Ireland had the cheapest prices astatine the extremity of the month, with petrol averaging 130.6p and diesel 135.2p – 6p and 7p little than the UK average. England was the priciest, with petrol averaging 136p and diesel 141.7p, portion Scotland and Wales were 134.5p and 134.9p for petrol and 140.6p and 140.2p for diesel.

The outgo of lipid remained mostly stable, averaging $73 a barrel, starring to small alteration successful wholesale prices. The RAC has released figures that travel a informing from the contention watchdog past week, which claimed motorists are inactive being overcharged for petrol and diesel owed to "stubbornly high" margins.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) expressed its interest astir ongoing precocious substance margins and a imaginable deficiency of robust contention successful the sector. According to the CMA, supermarket substance margins person crept up from 7% successful April to 8.1% successful August, portion non-supermarket substance margins person jumped from 7.8% to 10.2% during the aforesaid period.

Simon Williams, RAC caput of policy, commented: "Heading up to the astir costly clip of twelvemonth for families, it’s bully to spot that this Christmas is acceptable to beryllium the cheapest for substance since the pandemic. Despite some petrol and diesel rising by a penny and 2 pence respectively successful November, the quality to a twelvemonth agone is sizeable with petrol 10.5p little and diesel 12p less.

"This is large quality for radical making agelong festive journeys to sojourn friends and families arsenic it should prevention them astir £6 connected a vessel of substance compared to past year. While conditions are intelligibly amended for drivers this Christmas than erstwhile ones, we’re inactive conscious that prices astatine the pumps could beryllium somewhat cheaper if retailer margins were lower.

"So, it was disappointing to spot past week that the Competition and Markets Authority has erstwhile again expressed interest astir a deficiency of contention among substance retailers. This comes connected the backmost of the CMA concluding drivers were overcharged by £1.6bn successful 2023."

"We anticipation the Government’s committedness astatine the Budget to introducing a mandatory substance terms uncovering strategy adjacent twelvemonth volition spark contention and pb to a fairer substance retailing scenery that delivers amended worth for drivers wherever they capable up."