Price checker

DO you think that pump price prices should be freely available to the public?

The UK government has confirmed that it is now considering a scheme whereby petrol stations would have to share live prices, potentially bringing more price transparency for drivers.

Following reports of the government’s proposal, RAC fuel spokesperson, Simon Williams, said: “The Competition and Markets Authority is already investigating the way fuel retailing operates, so we hope its eventual recommendations to the government result in better value at the pumps for drivers.

“An online fuel price checker that resembles those available to drivers in Germany where prices are displayed for individual forecourts in real ­ time could be helpful, but may not, on its own, lead to fairer prices.”

He added: “Certainly, we don’t think any UK ­ wide system should mimic what already exists in Northern Ireland where fuel prices are only updated once a week and there’s no indication of which forecourts are cheapest.

“One issue that often leads to widely varying prices locally, which badly needs addressing, is the fact major retailers operate regional pricing which can mean much higher prices where there is little or no competition.”

ACCORDING to the latest data from the European Union Oil Bulletin on Thursday, February 9, the average price of fuel in Spain dropped for the first time this year. Specifically, petrol dropped by 0.33 per cent to €1.65/litre and diesel by 1.5 per cent to stand at €1.68/litre.

Since the beginning of 2023after the government discount of 20 cents was stopped ­ petrol has accumulated a rise of 4.5 per cent, compared to a 1 per cent rise for diesel. However, even with these price levels, both fuels remain far from the highs they reached last summer when in July petrol reached €2.141, and diesel hit €2.10.

Compared to a year ago, the price of a litre of petrol is 6.2 per cent more expensive, and that