UK average petrol and diesel prices rose for the fifth month in a row in February, according to the RAC.
The motoring organisation said the average price of a litre of petrol at UK filling stations rose by 0.65p during the month, to 139.65p, while the average litre of diesel rose by 0.73p, to 146.48p.
The RAC said prices had risen as retailers faced higher wholesale costs, with the cost of oil increasing to $82 a barrel in mid-January. However, oil prices have now been falling for several weeks, with the RAC saying pump prices should therefore follow.
RAC spokesperson Simon Williams said: “It’s disappointing to see pump prices up yet again in February, with drivers now facing some of the highest costs at forecourts since the end of last summer.
“Motorists were the unfortunate casualties of rising wholesale prices through January, not helped by global oil prices hitting the $82-a-barrel mark in the middle of the month.
“But we hope better times are on the horizon. With wholesale fuel costs falling throughout February, there’s a good prospect petrol and diesel prices will come down this month as retailers buy fresh stock at lower prices. As always, it really does pay to shop around because pump prices at supermarket sites vary by as much as 13p a litre.”
