The effects of the crisis in Ukraine has reached West Lothian’s garage forecourts as prices reach record levels.
At petrol stations around West Lothian, diesel was hitting 199.9p a litre this week, with others not far behind at 182.9p per litre.
Some filling stations - including Shell at Broxburn - are selling petrol at as much as 176.9p per litre - and it’s expected to go up even further.
Customers accused companies of “profiteering” with one saying it was time to “legislate against profiteering on petrol station forecourts. My local garage is charging up to 30p more per litre than garages five or 10 miles away.”
A year ago the price per litre of petrol and diesel was 124.32p and 127.25p respectively.
The war in Ukraine has had a massive impact on crude oil prices, and these are set to soar further as the crisis continues.
The average price of petrol across the UK has jumped by more than 4p in a week topping £1.55 for the first time ever, which means a gallon costs over £7 – something which many older drivers will be struggling to comprehend.
A spokesperson for Shell told Edinburgh Live although the garage is branded as Shell, the company do not own or set the prices at this station.
They continued: "Shell is only able to control prices at the sites we own; of our UK network around one half is owned by independent dealers, who set their own prices. Shell is prevented by law from telling dealer groups what to charge their customers for fuel. Our company-owned sites are priced in line with the market."
The company confirmed that this sight is an independent dealer and set their own prices.
They also added that the reason for price inflation at service stations can be for a number of reasons, including wholesale price and retail costs, which includes transporting the fuel to the forecourts and running the service stations themselves.
RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said the price rises will hit homes and businesses hard.
He said: “He said: “The average price of petrol across the UK has jumped by more than 4p in a week topping £1.55 for the first time ever, which means a gallon costs over £7 – something which many older drivers will be struggling to comprehend.
“Diesel, however, has increased by 6.5p a litre to £1.61 or £7.30 a gallon.
“These hikes are unprecedented and will sadly be hitting both homes and businesses hard.”
John Wilmot, CEO of car leasing comparison site LeaseLoco, has provided 10 fuel saving tips for motorists facing higher petrol and diesel costs.
He said: “Most of us can’t do without a vehicle, and with fuel prices likely to rise even further over the coming weeks, there are some simple steps we can take to squeeze as much value as possible from that litre of fuel.”
His tips include accelerating smoothly, which will help conserve fuel, keep rolling - stopping and starting again will use more fuel than rolling.
If you’re approaching traffic lights or a queue then slow early and you might not need to stop completely.
Drivers should also remove unnecessary weight, as the heavier your car is, the more fuel it needs to move around.
You can also check tyre pressure, change up gear earlier, turn off the Air-Con, switch off electrics, take off the roof box, keep windows shut and combine trips.
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