Cold comfort as petrol price rises again

Already at record levels, fuel prices have risen further in recent days, with petrol now at an average of 138.50p a litre and diesel at 145.45p, the AA reported.

Warmer weather and more daylight reduce a car engine’s winter workload and improve fuel efficiency by at least two miles per gallon (2mpg).

For a petrol car with an average fuel consumption of 31mpg, or 6.8 miles per litre, a 2mpg improvement adds 24 miles to the range of a 55-litre (12-gallon) fuel tank – equivalent to a saving of 3.5 litres, £4.85 a tank, or 8.8p a litre.

The AA said the 6.25p-a-litre increase in the price of petrol since the start of the year had slashed much of the “summer” saving and the Treasury’s 3.624p-a-litre fuel duty increase with VAT, planned for August 1, would “finish the job”.

Recent rises have, in the past month, added £1.75 to the cost of refuelling a typical petrol tank and added £2.12 for an 80-litre commercial van diesel tank.

Since the start of the year, £13.27 has been added to the monthly fuel costs of a family with two petrol cars,

Compared to a year ago, an extra £5.78m a day is being spent on fuel, while compared to March 2010, an extra £23.21m a day is being forked out for petrol and diesel.

Regionally, Yorkshire and the Humber has the cheapest petrol, at 137.9p a litre. Northern Ireland remains the most expensive at 139.2p.