Bosses of Shropshire's cheapest petrol station 'don't know' why others don't do the same

D A Roberts Fuels & Garage Limited at Grindley Brook Garage, Whitchurch, has some of the lowest prices in the country and has done for months.

The retailer's price of diesel - 131.9p - is now more than 22p cheaper than the national average of 154.31p, while unleaded at the north Shropshire forecourt is 136.9p compared to a UK average of 144.9p.

The filling station has made national news in recent days, while the Shropshire Star has also regularly reported in on its low prices, with the business being highlighted for its efforts to pass savings onto customer.

Finance director Ricky Allman said that's been the firm's ethos.

"We do not know why other retailers are not dropping their prices as much as we are really. The fuel market has dropped significantly in the past few months and we are passing our savings onto our customers," he explained.

"We are not buying it much cheaper than the supermarkets or other retailers, so it shouldn't be that different in price.

"We have been very busy for the past few months now with our lower prices, and we share a lot on social media and other people post our prices a lot too which has really helped.

"We get people coming in from Shrewsbury to fill up which is more of a distance for them but they tell us they want to give their money to a honest garage like ourselves instead of being ripped off, even if it does cost them a little bit more to travel.

"The way we are running is by making a smaller profit margin but selling a lot more volume, so we make our little profit but the customers are also getting the savings and we have had a lot of positive comments for running this way, people have been thanking us as times are tough and any savings people can make, they are thankful for."

David Roberts, 78, is the managing-director of the company, and has ensured the business has continued to drop its prices as the wholesale price has come down too.

RAC analysis shows the average price of a litre of the fuel at UK forecourts has dropped to 144.95p.

Prices have not been that low since November 2021.

Diesel has reached its cheapest average price since February last year at 154.31p per litre.

Fuel prices reached record highs of around 192p per litre for petrol and 199p per litre for diesel in July 2022, largely due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine leading to an increase in the cost of oil.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “Seeing the price of unleaded fall back under 145p a litre for the first time in 18 months is good news for the country’s 19 million petrol car drivers.

“This means it’s now nearly £26 cheaper to fill up a family-sized petrol car this summer compared with last year.

“While it’s good news diesel has also dropped below 155p a litre, drivers of the UK’s 12 million diesel cars – and countless businesses who rely it to fuel their vehicles – should be paying 20p a litre less as its wholesale price is now 4p lower than petrol’s.”

On Monday, competition watchdog the Competition and Markets Authority said evidence indicated that fuel margins had increased in particular for supermarkets over the past four years, with average 2022 supermarket pump prices appearing to be around 5p per litre more expensive than they would have been had their average percentage margins remained at 2019 levels.

Cheapest places for petrol and diesel in Shropshire

Unleaded

Essar Nescliffe Service Station, Hollyhead Road - 135.9p

Essar Whitchurch (Grindley Brook Garage) - 136.9p

Texaco, Ellesmere, Church Street - 136.9p

Applegreen, Oswestry, Cresoswallit Service Station - 138.8p

Pace Shrewsbury, Shawbury Service Station - 138.9p

Diesel

Essar Whitchurch (Grindley Brook Garage) - 131.9p

Essar Nescliffe Service Station, Hollyhead Road - 133.9p

Shell Whitchurch, Newport Road - 134.9p

Murco Shrewsbury, Four Crosses Station - 135.9p

Texaco, Ellesmere, Church Street - 136.9p

*All prices according to petrolprices.com on Tuesday.