Threat of Strikes Increase Prices At The Pumps
22 Comments | Add Comment | Blog entry posted 4th April, 2012
Last week motorists across the country were seen queueing up for fuel, forecourts were running dry and stations hiked their prices up. We wanted to find out exactly how much stations had increased their prices. Displayed on the map are the towns with the largest price increases for unleaded and diesel between Monday 26th March and Monday 2nd April.
As you can see the largest unleaded price jump was in Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys with an average increase of 10.1p. With such a large increase we expected them to be one of the most expensive in the country, but at 144p per litre they were only 2.2p above the national average on that day.
For diesel the largest increase was in Wigan, Lancashire where prices rose to an average of 152.9p per litre, an increase of 7p, followed closely by Plymouth, Devon with an increase of 6p.
On average the country saw an increase of 1.5p for unleaded and 0.9p increase for the price of diesel. Not all stations took advantage of the panic buying and some did not put their prices up.
These price hikes could have been a result of the panic buying triggered by the union Unite’s dispute with fuel tanker companies. Unite had threatened to strike if minimum conditions within the industry were not agreed upon and the general public went into panic mode and topped up where they could. Conciliation service, Acas, met with Unite today and the oil tanker companies to begin talks to prevent strike action, we are still waiting to hear the outcome. The union announced last week that planned strikes were not going to take place over the Easter weekend which was a huge relief for motorists planning on travelling the UK or visiting relatives during the period.
If talks do break down, and tanker drivers do go on strike, use our Petrol Tweets map to find out local news in your area, and let others know what’s happening.
Replies to Threat of Strikes Increase Prices At The Pumps
paul February 3, 2013
Asda and co could bring the cost of fuel all the way down which would force everybody else to do so, to fight for custom all they need do is put a penny on everything in store, and they would still be the cheapest store on t.v
richard butcher June 14, 2012
Old News!
Ray Parsons June 11, 2012
Asda ... "We're cutting fuel prices to lowest level for more than a year."
"We’re cutting fuel prices by 3p a litre from tomorrow – taking prices to their lowest level for more than a year."
Rubbish!
I paid 128.9 for unleaded in Asda Doncaster 4th October 2011, and the same price in Asda Kilmarnock later that night.
Diesel prices are now lower though!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/nov/04/petrol-prices-cut-fuel
4th November 2011 .. The Guardian .. Petrol prices at Asda are now 128.7p a litre and 136.7p for diesel.
norman nixon June 2, 2012
Fuel prices have gone below $100 a barrel, our wonderful Government said they are yet again looking into the prices charged by the garages, as yet nothing has been done so dont get your hopes up
peter June 4, 2012
The government are soon to be responsible for a 3.6p per litre increase in the price of fuel. Petrol currently costs about 51p. The government then stick another 81p on top of it but justine greening thinks the 51p is too much? is she an idiot or does she take the British public for one?
norman nixon May 30, 2012
It's going down but if the plant at Coryton closes that will be there excuse to put it up again by 10p, the motorist will never win.
norman nixon May 14, 2012
Another big dip in the price of Brent crude, has it made any difference NO!
Peter Slegg May 11, 2012
Crude oil prices have dropped quite a lot since a peak early in the last quarter but we are not exactly seeing the benefit at the pumps. The Pound is also stronger against the Dollar and even that isn't helping.
T. Martland May 10, 2012
Diesel fuel decades ago was marketed at lower cost than petrol. The stated reason was that diesel was a cruder product and cost less to refine. Diesel cars in the sixties were few in number and were more expensive for the first purchaser, and used mainly by taxi firms. Diesel lorries were obviously well to the for by then and carried the bulk of the overheads of diesel supply. My local franchised Shell fiiling station at Sutton Elms Leicestershire is the 'least expensive' in my local area, although they always temporarily inflate their prices over the Easter break ever year to make a short term killing. I do not use the word 'cheaper' as this is totally misleading in this rigged marketplace. Note that the government is plastering over the cracks in the economy with the near £1 per litre extracted per litre from the motorist. They ruling politicians may offer crocodile tear platitudes about economic hardships, but no way are they going to back off with this money tree at their disposal. Remember our politicians are only populist clever talking amateurs at best, and not trained professional people able to devise workable solutions to sustain future national needs.
norman nixon May 8, 2012
In the national papers the news was 5p off a litre of fuel, I have been waiting a week for this to happen. Is Cameron and the Fuel Companies giving us another load of rubbish again ?
Simon Miller April 30, 2012
Oil prices have fallen from $130 to $115 a barrel, the £ is trading at an 8 month high against the dollar, therefore giving us a supposed double decrease in the price of oil, but petrol prices remain stubbornly high. "Gas" prices in the US have fallen from $3.90 to $3.75 per gallon in recent weeks, presumably in line with the falling oil price, so why are our prices still high? Are we waiting for the margins to increase enough for the supermarkets to begin a price war again where they will pretend they're doing us all a favour?
micheal cotterill April 27, 2012
Petrol prices keep fluctuating no matter whats going on in the world either we are becoming dumb or the goverment think we are price drops 2-4p then gradually creeps up for example 6p and this keeps on recuring there are other alternatives and tech to increase mpg for vehicles but if the powers that be let car manufacturers implement this tech the goverment would loose a fortune and after get the monies back other ways I for one will use my car if needed and walk or cycle when not (I save money and get a bit fitter) if the goverment led by example by driving smaller cars or electric ones I think more people would think better of them its not like they open their wallets every day to make sure we are ok
joseph bramley April 20, 2012
All the petrol stations in scarborough are in it together, diesel is £1.47.9p and unleaded is £1.43.9p,one puts it up and they all do the same. Retailers are just getting to gready for there own good and so is the goverment. People think its good for envoironment getting cars off the road, I say screw the envoironment.I use to work away in construction alot now its to expensive to travel any more something needs to be done for the public becuase fuel prices are dragging the economy down,lower fuel prices and things migth pick up.
kenneth lester May 1, 2012
One station in Scunthorpe is selling diesel at 142.9 next to asda at 143.7 which is a start, it's time to knock 5pa liter off as oil has come down quite a lot.
nicky April 19, 2012
Its amazing Today 19/4/2012 the price of Brent Crude has gone down to £1.17, has the price at the pumps changed NO, if it rises tomorrow by 1cent the prices will rise at the pumps, am I being a cynic by thinking we are all being conned by the threat of a strike or is it the Government scaremongering just to keep us quite.
Peter April 19, 2012
The price should be falling by now but it isn't. Why should it fall?
1. Crude prices are in dollars. The pound is rising rapidly against the dollar. That should push the price down. It didn't.
2.The price of crude reflects demand. During the Cameron/Maude fiasco demand peaked, prices should have peaked, but they kept increasing. After the fiasco there were a lot of full tanks and a lot of Camercans (Cameron filled jerricans!) full and ready to use, so demand should have slumped and prices fallen. But they didn't.
3. And finally the fall in the value of the Euro and the uncertainty in the Euro-zone has reduced demand on the continental mainland. Crude prices should have fallen further to reflect this. They haven't.
Who is benefiting? Certainly not the British motorist.
KAY DeVere-Burt April 18, 2012
I noticed that Asda states we keep the prices of fuel down they DO NOT, SO Don't be mislead with getting fuel from Asda unmanned stations just up the road in Bletchley shell garage the price on a manned garage was exactly the same price....WHY DO THEY LIE! Annoyed. What a time for a ethical petrol station to be a hero by actually cutting the prices they would have a stampede.....so come on garages who's first to care/
Keith (The Moaner) Verrall April 13, 2012
Come to Loughborough, the prices for Petrol and Diesel seem to rise a minimum of 1p a week. Every single garage seem to see one garage rise so they follow suit. I am disabled and have a Wheelchair Vehicle, But can't afford to go out anywhere unnecessary as we can't afford to fill it with 90 litres of fuel. We only see family twice a year because it cost us in excess of £65 to just go down to Essex and back, money we don't have. You NEVER see fuel prices go down as we were promised when oil prices fall. We need to stand up to these Robbers and show them we mean business.
nik April 18, 2012
Mate we in wales are the same. Its Tesco here who lead the prices at the pumps. Our fuel has gone up 8 pence a litre in the last 7 weeks. 1.50 they say by the end of August try the end of April start of may....... I need to run two vehicles because we both have to travel over 50 miles each way for work now having to look at selling one car and one of us becoming unemployed as cant afford to work.
laurie norton April 12, 2012
The british general public take all price hikes especially fuel price hikes without any action.
No other european counrty stand for it but as always the brits do.
Its up to the people and the people alone to make a change or just go with and take it well while complaining. The goverment and all associated rub there hands with glee, and if iwas in the job so would i.
Fools.
Sarah Plans April 12, 2012
bad news ...... but can you really get good news about petrol ???? hahaha
i just read this piece on petrol pricing at http://half-bridge.blogspot.com/2012/04/petrol-pricing-for-dummies.html ---- you can easily guess who makes billions .....
:) Sarah :)
Brian Archer April 5, 2012
Petrol companies have proved to be liars by saying that the higher price for diesel is because they are struggling to keep up wit demand, yet the only fuel they had at the service station I called at in Nottingham was guess what yes you've guessed it diesel.
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