DIESEL drivers are being forced to pay more in Worcester despite wholesale prices for both fuels being virtually identical. 

According to RAC Fuel Watch nationally the average price of a litre of petrol is 146.63p while diesel is priced at 164.26p typically.

But both fuels are selling for around 114.5p on the wholesale market, the RAC said.

We picked four random garages in Worcester and we found the gaps nationally were also reflected in the city. 

 

  • At BP in Malvern Road, Lower Wick, diesel was at 165.9p but petrol was 147.9 - a difference of 18p.
  • At the Tesco garage in Castle Street diesel was at 164.9p but petrol was at 146.9p - a difference of 18p.
  • At Sainsbury's in Windermere Drive, Blackpole, diesel was at 158.9p but petrol was at 143.9p - a difference of 15p.
  • And at the Esso service station in Bath Road diesel was at 164.9p but petrol was at 148.9p - a difference of 16p.

All the prices found were for March 30.

 

Simon Williams, from the RAC, said: “The forecourt price disparity between petrol and diesel across the UK is absolutely shocking given their wholesale prices are now virtually identical.

“At the beginning of March, wholesale diesel was only 6p more expensive than petrol yet there was a 20p-a-litre gap between both fuels on the forecourt.

“Now the two fuels are identical on the wholesale market, and there’s still more than 17p difference at the pump.”