Shropshire Star comment: Price cut offers fuel for thought

Yet it ought not to be said we’re getting a bargain because it could be argued such price cuts could have been passed on to motorists some time ago.

Other retailers are also failing to pass on falls in the wholesale price, meaning rank and file motorists suffer.

The issue of petrol price increases causes frustration for many.

Retailers appear quick to pass on rises when the costs increase at the wholesale market but there is invariably a delay in passing on savings when the price moves in the opposite direction.

The importance of the fuel price to those in our region is considerable.

It’s not just the mothers and fathers who need to ferry their children to work, nor the workers who need to commute from A to B.

It’s also the cost of goods and services, which rises when we have to pay more for transport.

The logistics industry is a major factor and there are many who find themselves hamstrung when fuel prices increase.

Drivers need supermarkets to start competing on price once more and also need a fairer deal with forecourt prices keeping pace with the wholesale market.

It is little wonder the RAC and others have criticised retailers for their sense of ennui and unwillingness to act.

We must call out the petrol giants when they blatantly profiteer – and that is what they are doing now.

And while that might be good for the bottom line for the petrol giants, it is bad for everyone else’s business and finances.

Transport companies face additional pressures, the prices in our shops are inflated and all of us suffer.

We realise all’s fair in business, just as it is in love and war, but it does not seem to be asking too much that companies show greater fairness and integrity when it comes to pricing.

The transparency of the wholesale sector means we all know that it’s cheaper for retailers to buy petrol than it was.

Let’s hope today’s price cut is the first of many.