Jan 21, 2015
Last week, we talked about a garage in Walsall that had been widely reported as the first in the country to drop the price of unleaded fuel below the one Pound mark, specifically to 99.7 pence per litre.
As we predicted at the time, petrol for under a Pound has begun to spread – and there’s some jealousy starting to arise amongst the regions!
A report in The Bristol Post refers to a garage now selling petrol for 99.7 pence per litre in Swindon, and three matching the price in the Birmingham area (presumably including the service station in Walsall). The newspaper complains that Swindon drivers are getting the cheap fuel when those in nearby Bristol are not.
However, it seems that the jealousy may soon pass. A spokesman for The RAC is quoted as saying that “we are surely only weeks away from the milestone price of £1 a litre being a common sight.”
This corresponds with the view The RAC have had for some time and a view that’s rather more optimistic than that of The AA. Drivers across the country more than likely hope that it’s The RAC who are correct.
Meanwhile, you can find the cheapest pumps across the country by using our free tool.
Jan 13, 2015
For some time now, we’ve been debating whether petrol would drop below the one pound per litre mark. For some time, The RAC have seem convinced it would happen, while The AA have remained less sure.
Well now, as we predicted at the end of last week, the optimists were right. Unleaded petrol has finally dropped below one pound at at least one garage, and this “sub-one-pound” petrol had caused a flood of news stories.
The Mirror, amongst other news outlets, have reported on an independent petrol station in Walsall (Birmingham) offering unleaded for 99.7 pence per litre, resulting in the local supermarkets quickly dropping their prices to around 103 pence per litre in an attempt to compete.
It’s now reasonable to expect that other garages will follow suit, and that 99p petrol will become more widespread as the week progresses.
Interestingly, The RAC and The AA are still very much at odds on what this means for the future. Having been proved right about the price drop, The RAC are now bullish, and quoted as saying that £1 per litre petrol will soon be a “common sight” across the country. The AA, in something of a face-saving move, have dismissed the cheap petrol as a “publicity stunt” according to to the Express and Star, maintaining that the reductions “may not last.”
We will obviously follow developments very closely, and like UK motorists will hope the the optimistic RAC are correct in this case!
IMAGE CREDIT: Geograph
Jan 5, 2015
Several times over recent months, we’ve speculated on whether petrol prices will drop as low as the “magic” one pound per litre.
Experts have been divided on the issue, with The RAC typically seeming far more optimistic than The AA or the Petrol Retailers Association.
However, reality seems to be beginning to favour the optimists, with a report today in The Independent suggesting that a fall to £1 per litre could even happen before the end of January. Some analysts think that filling up may soon cost as much as £8 less than it did at the start of the year.
As always, there are some dissenting voices, and once again it’s the AA showing pessimism. Their spokesperson is quoted as saying that global oil prices need to fall by another third before the £1 litre will be achieved, and that weak Sterling makes it even less likely.
Even so, with widespread price wars continuing, and some supermarkets said to be treating fuel as a “loss leader,” the £1 litre could soon become a reality. The Metro newspaper is today saying the same thing too. Whether it happens or not, UK motorists are certainly being given some lofty expectations!
