Shropshire petrol stations defend record prices as costs rocket towards £2 a litre

The owners of one of service stations today warned that its high prices would be mirrored by others as they feel the weight of the international rise in oil prices.

Drivers and businesses across the country have been hit this week by the second largest daily hike in diesel prices for more than 20 years.

Figures from data firm Experian Catalist show the average cost of a litre of the fuel at UK forecourts reached a record 165.2p on Tuesday, up from 162.3p on Monday.

The RAC said the jump of more than 3p was the second largest since 2000.

The average price of a litre of petrol also increased, from 156.4p on Monday to 158.2p on Tuesday.

Prices at the pumps in Shropshire differ by almost 40p a litre depending where you live in the county.

Supermarkets remain the cheapest for fuel with Sainsbury's in Shrewsbury selling petrol at 145.9p a litre and diesel at 154.9p a litre.

A Texaco garage in St Martins near Oswestry was also selling its diesel for 154.9p a litre while Asda and Morrisons throughout the county are also similarly priced.

But in many service stations the cost is far higher.

The prices in the Thieves Lane Shell garage in Shrewsbury were 175.9p for petrol and 193.9p for diesel whilst the Tower Services in Market Drayton had diesel at 194.9p a litre.

Oil prices have spiked due to concerns over the reliability of supplies due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The price per barrel of Brent crude - which is the most commonly used way of measuring the UK's oil price - reached 139 US dollars on Monday, which was its highest level in 14 years.

Callum Rickerby from Tower Services defended the cost of its diesel.

"We had kept our prices as low as we could all last week but we had a delivery in and the cost leapt up by 26p a litre," he said.

"Then overnight it jumped by 9p a litre."

"Prices of fuel have always fluctuated but never by that much".

At Stans Superstore, St Martins were prices have been traditionally low, owners had had to raise fuel prices to 157.9 for petrol and 164.9 for diesel.

Justin Smart, general manager, said: "We are already working on a limited margin, we have been trying to soften the blow for our customers.

"Rather that having to have a big jump in prices we have tried to go up in stages to try to ease the pain.

"We receive our prices from our suppliers once a week but I know that some service stations have daily prices."

"We have found that customers are very accepting of the prices as they realise it is out of our hands."

Every week petrol prices fluctuate but to see them going up 12p is something we have never seen.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: "The cost of a filling a 55-litre family car with petrol is now £87 - £7 more than it was at the start of the year. Diesel drivers are even worse off with a tank now costing more than £90 for the first time ever - £8 more than in early January.

"Wholesale fuel prices have already risen dramatically this week, so more pump price increases in the coming days are inevitable. Petrol is now certain to top an average of £1.60 a litre this week while diesel will progress very quickly towards £1.70.

"We continue to call on the Chancellor to help drivers by temporarily cutting VAT to at least 15 per cent.

"As it stands, 26p a litre of what drivers are paying on the forecourt is attributable to VAT and that comes on top of 58p a litre in fuel duty."

"This tax on a tax is causing unbelievable financial pain to drivers which is why we believe Mr Sunak holds the key to easing the burden."