Petrol prices in Shropshire starting to creep back up

The average cost of a litre of petrol in Shropshire and Mid wales is now 108.28p - almost 2p a litre more than this-year's February 1 low point of 106.39p, the AA said.

Diesel is now averaging 115.06p a litre compared with 113.42p on February 1.

There remain large variations in price between towns in Shropshire, with the lowest price of unleaded in Shrewsbury currently 104.7p compared with 110.9p in Whitchurch. And diesel in the region ranges from 110p to 116p.

The AA said that at the start of this week it was still possible to find petrol selling at 103.9p a litre in many built-up areas as supermarkets and some non-supermarkets delayed the price rises.

But the AA added that drivers started to complain as prices at some forecourts rose 1p a day in quick succession.

The only good news for road users is that petrol in mid-February 2015 is still cheaper than the mid-January average price of 108.91p a litre, while diesel is still less expensive than the mid-January price of 116.11p.

Northern Ireland's average of 107.6p a litre for petrol is currently the cheapest in the UK, while drivers in Wales and the West Midlands are paying most, averaging 108.6p a litre.

Diesel is least expensive in Northern Ireland, averaging 114.2p a litre, while it costs most in East Anglia, at 115.6p.

The AA said its members' suspicion that pump prices would quickly start going up appeared well founded.

Last month a quarter of AA members said they were still keeping a tight lid on car use despite the low prices.

Today AA president Edmund King said: "While the focus was on the remote possibility of a £1 a litre for petrol, motorists bitten by years of severe price volatility and having a little more sense continued to drive cautiously.

"UK petrol consumption has remained lower than when it was 13p a litre more expensive."

He went on: "There is hope that the price of oil will settle back to around 50 dollars a barrel. However, the lesson of 2009 is that, apart from a short period of falling prices in the summer, the cost of petrol maintained a gradual climb through to the May of 2010. Today's MPG misers may yet have the last laugh."