COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Warwickshire named among most expensive UK places for petrol



It's one of life's great mysteries. Okay, so that might be over-egging the pudding somewhat, but there is certainly a degree of curiosity among motorists as to why the price of petrol can vary so significantly from one garage to the next - and one from place to the next.

Supermarkets tend to offer the best rates outside of members-only outlets, but that hasn't always been the case in recent months leading to claims of profiteering among some of the UK's biggest retailers. In truth, it's a bit of a lottery.

But new research has aimed to shed some light on the topic, ranking UK places in order of average cost to fill up. And the regional fuel prices index by Fleet News does not make good reading for motorists in Warwickshire.

Warwickshire ranked as the fifth-most expensive county across the entire UK for standard unleaded. The price for a litre costs an average of 159.38 as of October 1, the latest period for which county figures are available.

And it didn't fair much better for diesel, coming in as the eighth-most expensive county with an average of 162.21p per litre. According to the report, the UK average was 154.93p for unleaded and 159.10 for diesel, as of October 1.

The county of West Midlands, incorporating Coventry, fared more favourably on the list thanks to the typical cost of unleaded at 154.20 and diesel at 158.57p - both marginally under the UK average.

Spare a thought for poor motorists in Dumfriesshire made all the poorer by the fact the average cost of a litre of unleaded there was 164.39 making it the dearest place in the UK to fill up. The Scottish county was also the most expensive for diesel coming in at 168.84.

Coventry's 12 cheapest petrol stations as prices head in the right direction for drivers



UK petrol prices are set to fall for the first time in months. The AA's soon-to-be-released October figures are poised to show a slight drop in prices after four months of successive rises.

Higher oil prices globally combined with claims of 'overpricing' among some of the nation's biggest retailers were said to have driven up the cost of both unleaded and diesel. But October appears to have put a stop to that trend, at least from a Coventry perspective.

The fall in prices will be a welcome relief for hard-up motorists, but also independent forecourt owners. Soaring prices at the pumps were believed to have triggered a sharp increase in fuel thefts.

The Morrisons petrol station at Alvis Retail Park was targeted by thieves 41 times between January and the start of December last year, a Freedom of Information Act request by CoventryLive revealed. More than £3,500 worth of fuel was reportedly stolen at that station alone.

Incidents of motorists driving off without paying are understood to have rocketed though falling prices might begin to remedy the problem. The cheapest price for unleaded in Coventry, at members-only and non-members forecourts, is lower today than it was at the start of October.

Unleaded rates appear to have fallen around 5-6p per litre at forecourts across the city. Drivers in Warwickshire, which is among the most expensive places to fill up in the whole of the UK, will be hoping the same can be said in their county.

According to petrolprices.com, these are the 12 cheapest forecourts for unleaded in and around Coventry.

1, Costco, Torrington Avenue, Canley - 142.9p per litre (as at 6/11/23) (members only)

2, Texaco, Station Avenue, Tile Hill - 149.9p (as at 4/11/23)

3, Morrisons, Skipworth Road, Binley, - 150.7p (as at 5/11/23)

4, Sainsbury's, Herald Way, Canley - 150.9p (as at 6/11/23)

5=, Texaco, Jubilee Crescent, Radford, - 151.9p (as at 6/11/23)

5=, Texaco, Sandpits Lane, Keresley - 151.9p (as at 31/10/23)

7=, Morrisons, Holyhead Road, Spon End - 152.7p (as at 5/11/23)

7=, Asda, Brade Drive, Walsgrave - 152.7p (as at 4/11/23)

9=, Esso, Coventry Road, Exhall - 152.9p (as at 3/11/23)

9=, Esso, Brandon Road, Binley - 152.9p (as at 6/11/23)

9=,Tesco, Clifford Bridge Road, Walsgrave - 152.9p (as at 2/11/23)

9=, Tesco, Phoenix Way, Rowley's Green - 152.9p (as at 5/11/23)

The ten cheapest stations in Coventry for petrol and diesel



The cheapest place in Coventry to fill up your car with petrol is in the Sherbourne ward. According to the latest data supplied by retailers, a driver in an average family car could save up to £13.26 by filling up at the Applegreen garage on Holyhead Road in Coundon compared to the city's most expensive petrol station.

It is charging motorists 135.8p per litre, which means it would cost £74.69 to fill up an average 55-litre tank. This is based on a new feed of live petrol prices set up by the government's Competition and Markets Authority in September.

The average price for a litre of petrol across the Coventry region this week is 138.6p. Meanwhile, the most expensive filling station in Coventry by this metric is in Holbrooks.

Here are the cheapest places to top up your car with petrol in Coventry, and the council ward in which they are located:

135.8p - Applegreen, Holyhead Road Service Station, Sherbourne
136.7p - Asda, Brade Drive, Henley
136.9p - Sainsbury's, 330 Fletchamstead Highway, Earlsdon
137.7p - Asda, Abbey Park - North London Road, Cheylesmore
137.9p - Tesco, 22 Cannon Park Centre Lynchgate Road Coventry, Wainbody
137.9p - Esso, Butts Road, Sherbourne
137.9p - Esso, Rugby Road, Binley and Willenhall,
137.9p - Tesco, Clifford Bridge Road Coventry, Wyken
137.9p - Tesco, Ricoh Arena Phoenix Way Coventry, Longford
137.9p - Esso, Walsgrave, Henley

The most expensive filling station in Coventry is the Shell Holbrook Lane, Holbrooks. The cost of standard petrol there is 159.9p, meaning it would cost a total of £87.95 to fill up an average family car.

For the owners of diesel cars, the cheapest place to fill up is the Asda garage in the Henley ward. The cost of a litre of standard diesel at there was 144.7p, according to prices supplied by retailers.

Here are the cheapest places to fill up your car with standard diesel in Coventry:

144.7p - Asda, Brade Drive, Henley
144.8p - Applegreen, Holyhead Road Service Station, Sherbourne
144.9p - Sainsbury's, 330 Fletchamstead Highway, Earlsdon
145.9p - Tesco, 22 Cannon Park Centre Lynchgate Road Coventry, Wainbody
145.9p - Esso, Butts Road, Sherbourne
145.9p - Texaco, Radford, Radford
145.9p - Esso, Rugby Road, Binley and Willenhall
145.9p - Tesco, Clifford Bridge Road Coventry, Wyken
145.9p - Tesco, Ricoh Arena Phoenix Way Coventry, Longford
145.9p - Esso, Walsgrave, Henley

In Coventry owners of petrol cars are currently being charged 2.4p less than the national average of 143.1p. Diesel car drivers in Coventry are paying 2.4p less than the national average.

The prices quoted are those supplied by retailers as of Tuesday 26th December, 2023 at 4:45am.

Cheapest places in Coventry to fill up with diesel or petrol this weekend



The cheapest place in Coventry to fill up your car with petrol is at a Tesco garage in the south west of the city. According to the latest data supplied by retailers, a driver in an average family car could save up to £2.75 by filling up at this forecourt, compared to the most expensive petrol station.

The Tesco garage at 22 Cannon Park Centre Lynchgate Road, Wainbody, is charging motorists 142.9p per litre. This means it would cost £78.60 to fill up an average 55 litre tank.

This is based on a feed of live petrol prices which was set up by the government's Competition and Markets Authority last September. The average price for a litre of petrol across the Coventry region this week is 144.6p.

Here are the Cheapest places to top your car with petrol in Coventry:

142.9p - Tesco, 22 Cannon Park Centre Lynchgate Road, Wainbody

142.9p - Sainsbury's, 330 Fletchamstead Highway, Earlsdon

142.9p - Sainsbury's, 330 Fletchamstead Highway, Earlsdon

142.9p - Tesco, Clifford Bridge Road Coventry, Wyken

142.9p - Tesco, Ricoh Arena Phoenix Way, Longford

143.9p - Esso, Ryton, Binley and Willenhall

143.9p - Esso, Ryton, Binley and Willenhall

143.9p - Texaco, Radford, Radford

143.9p - Texaco, Radford, Radford

143.9p - Esso, Walsgrave, Henley

The most expensive filling station in Coventry is a BP station at Stonebridge Highway, Wainbody. The cost of standard petrol at this station is 147.9p, meaning it would cost a total of £81.35 to fill up an average family car at this forecourt.

For the owners of diesel cars, the cheapest place to fill up is also the Tesco garage at Wainbody. The cost of a litre of standard diesel at this forecourt was 151.9p, according to prices supplied by retailers.

Here are the cheapest places to fill up your car with standard diesel in Coventry this weekend.

151.9p - Tesco, 22 Cannon Park Centre Lynchgate Road, Wainbody

151.9p - Sainsbury's, 330 Fletchamstead Highway, Earlsdon

151.9p - Sainsbury's, 330 Fletchamstead Highway, Earlsdon

151.9p - Tesco, Ricoh Arena Phoenix Way, Longford

152.9p - Tesco, Clifford Bridge Road, Wyken

152.9p - Esso, Walsgrave, Henley

152.9p - Esso, Walsgrave, Henley

153.9p - Texaco, Radford, Radford

153.9p - Texaco, Radford, Radford

154.9p - BP, Stonebridge Highway, Wainbody

In Coventry owners of petrol cars are currently being charged 1.6p less than the national average of 146.4p.

Diesel car drivers in Coventry are paying 1.5p less than the national average.

The prices quoted are for standard grade petrol (E10) and for standard grade diesel (B7). The figures are supplied by the major retailers under a voluntary scheme launched by the Competition and Markets Authority to ensure motorists are given a fair deal at the petrol pumps. Most of the major petrol retailers have signed up to the scheme and the petrol stations supplying up-to-date information account for around 60 per cent of the fuel sold in the UK. The price of fuel is often cheaper at Costco outlets, but their service is only available to members.

The prices quoted are those supplied by retailers as of Friday 1st March, 2024 at 4:45am.

Claims of profiteering as average fuel prices rise by 10p since start of the year



Petrol and diesel prices have risen by 10p since the start of the year, adding £5.50 to the cost of filling up the average family car.

The RAC said a typical price for a litre of petrol increased by 3p to 150p in April alone.

Drivers are being “seriously overcharged for diesel”, with average prices rising by 2p per litre to 157.8p in April, it said.

In April, before the most recent increases, the average cost of filling a family car was £82.50 according to figures from the AA.

Fuel prices have risen as a result of Iranian-backed missile attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, forcing oil tankers to take a longer and more costly route to Europe.

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: “Drivers are once again having to dig deep just to go about their daily lives.

“Our data shows petrol and diesel have now gone up 10p a litre so far this year on the back of further increases in April of 3p and 2p respectively.

“Some of this is down to the oil price and the pound-to-dollar exchange rate making wholesale petrol more expensive for retailers to buy.”

The RAC is, however, calling on the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), a Government watchdog, to address “glaring issues” with fuel retailing.

The motoring organisation claims retailers are overcharging motorists by making too much profit on the price of a litre.

Mr Williams said: “Worryingly, the CMA’s warning shot about higher retailer margins at the end of March appears to have fallen on deaf ears, meaning drivers are once again being seriously overcharged for diesel.”

The RAC said if the biggest fuel retailers charged “fairer margins” it would stop so-called rocket and feather pricing, where pump prices surge when wholesale costs rise but fall slowly when those costs decline.