UK petrol hits highest price since 2022 as diesel forecast to reach 185p, warns RAC
- Perry Richardson
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
Updated: 12 hours ago
UK petrol prices have reached their highest level since November 2022 as the Iran oil crisis continues to push up costs for motorists, according to the RAC.
RAC Head of Policy Simon Williams said the average price of petrol had reached 160p a litre, having risen 9.38p from a recent low of 150.59p on 6 July. Diesel has increased more sharply, climbing 14.5p from its 9 July low to 179p a litre.
The increases will be particularly relevant to taxi and private hire operators running high annual mileages, where relatively small movements in pump prices can translate into significant additional weekly operating costs.
Diesel remains 12.5p below its conflict high of 191.54p recorded on 15 April.
Williams said: “In very unwelcome news for drivers the average price of petrol is at its highest since November 2022 as the Iran oil crisis continues.”
He added that filling a family-sized petrol car now costs £88, while an equivalent diesel fill costs around £10 more.
There may be little immediate relief for diesel users. While the RAC said wholesale petrol prices eased slightly this week, Williams said the change was not enough to affect forecourt prices significantly. He warned: “Diesel looks set to keep on rising and is likely to reach 185p a litre in the next few weeks, barring any major oil price reduction.”
For taxi drivers a rise from 179p to 185p would add another 6p per litre to fuel expenditure, further increasing pressure on margins at a time when operators have limited ability to pass sudden cost increases directly to passengers.
