Drivers who are planning to fill up their car with petrol at one of four major supermarkets across the UK have been issued an urgent warning over prices.
Motoring Group The RAC has criticised Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Tesco for not acting quickly enough to reduce their petrol prices, despite wholesale prices falling in early June. Prices at the supermarket chains petrol pumps have only been reduced by 9p since July, yet wholesale prices have decreased by about 20p, according to The RAC.
The warning comes just after the 'supermarket petrol pump war' last week which seen major retailers slash the cost of fuel at forecourts across the country. The price cuts seen Tesco leading the way by slashing their petrol and diesel prices by up to 6.5p per litre.
A spokesperson for the firm has said that the major chains have fallen behind independent retailers who are "leading the way" on reducing petrol prices, reports Nottinghamshire Live.
RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: "July has been an unnecessarily tough month for drivers due to the big four supermarkets' unwillingness to cut their prices to a more a reasonable level, reflecting the consistent and significant reductions in the wholesale cost of petrol and diesel.
"As it was, we saw independent retailers leading the charge with fairer pump prices appearing all around the country which eventually forced the supermarkets to finally implement a more substantial cut late last Friday afternoon."
"What ought to have happened is that the biggest retailers cut their prices more significantly on a daily basis, given the wholesale price of petrol has fallen steadily over the last eight weeks."
AA president Edmund King also slammed the major retailers for failing to reduce their prices, branding it "unforgivable". He said: "Average UK pump prices are down by around 9.5p a litre for petrol and 7p for diesel compared to early July. But, since early June, wholesale petrol is down 20p-25p a litre depending on whether or not you factor in VAT.
"In many areas of Britain, a 10p-a-litre drop in pump prices is still a 'pumpdream'. And that is where the fuel trade is forcing struggling drivers to play the pump-price postcode lottery. When you consider that many small independents have been slashing 10p and sometimes 15p off fuel, because lower costs have allowed it, the failure of bigger forecourts to do likewise is pretty unforgiveable."
Mr King added: "Drivers have been taken for an expensive ride during the cost-of-living crisis at a time they can least afford it."
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