Fuel prices fall again in April, but RAC says drivers still paying too much
- Perry Richardson
- May 5
- 2 min read
Fuel prices across the UK fell for a second consecutive month in April, with petrol and diesel both dropping by 2p a litre, according to the latest data from RAC Fuel Watch.
Petrol prices dropped from an average of 136.1p to 134.1p per litre. Diesel saw a similar fall from 142.6p to 140.6p. Despite this, the RAC has raised concerns that the cuts do not reflect the full savings retailers are enjoying at wholesale level.
Throughout April, oil traded below $70 per barrel, unlike March when prices were consistently higher. The RAC says this should have led to sharper cuts at the pump. Based on wholesale supply costs, the RAC calculates that petrol should now be selling at around 130p per litre and diesel at 136p.
This discrepancy means UK drivers are paying more than they should, with a typical 55-litre tank of unleaded costing £73.76 and diesel reaching £77.34. According to the RAC, this means drivers are losing over £2 per tank compared to what they could be paying if prices reflected wholesale rates.
Drivers in Northern Ireland continue to benefit from cheaper fuel, paying 128.8p for petrol and 133.7p for diesel. These prices are significantly lower than the UK averages, saving drivers there up to £3.79 per tank.
Meanwhile, membership-only retailer Costco remains one of the cheapest providers, charging 125p for unleaded and 131p for diesel. The UK’s largest supermarket chains are offering average prices of 131p for petrol and 137p for diesel.
RAC Head of Policy, Simon Williams, said: “On one hand it’s good news prices at the pumps fell for the second straight month, but on the other it’s disappointing that retailers didn’t drop their prices further considering how low oil and wholesale prices continue to be. Drivers right across the UK should really be benefitting from petrol being sold at an average of nearer to 130p and 136p for diesel. For now, only those in Northern Ireland are doing so.
“The data shows there’s still scope for prices to be reduced by around 4p a litre, so we call on major retailers to reward their customers with some further significant forecourt cuts soon. Some are already selling both fuels for very low prices at particular sites – we’d just like to see this happening more frequently around the country. For example, both Asda and Sainsbury’s are selling unleaded for under 125p a litre in Ipswich.
“As the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) now has new powers to request pricing information from retailers, we’ll be very interested to see whether it believes drivers have been charged fair prices at the pumps this spring. Previous CMA reports have found evidence of overcharging in both 2022 and 2023."
