Motoring

‘Petrol prices not coming down fast enough,’ according to the RAC

DECEMBER saw the average price of fuel fall by 9p a litre - saving drivers £5 a tank - but drivers should have seen even greater drops, according to the RAC.

RAC Fuel Watch data shows petrol fell by 8.4p last month to 151.06p, making a full 55-litre tank for a family car £4.63 cheaper (£83.08).

Diesel came down by 9.4p to 173.97p, meaning a complete fill-up was £5.19 less than it was at the start of the month, at £95.68.

Unleaded bought at one of the big four supermarkets reduced by 10p a litre from an average of 157.86p to 147.76p and diesel by 11.4p from 181.66p to 170.23p.

Wholesale prices, which have fallen considerably since mid-October, remained largely unchanged, with petrol averaging 106p a litre throughout December while diesel was 123.4p.

Based on these wholesale prices and allowing for a 10p-a-litre retailer margin – 3p more than the long-term average – the RAC believes petrol should be being sold around the UK for 140p – 11p less than the current UK average.

For diesel drivers, the figure should be nearer to 160p a litre – 14p lower than the average at the end of 2022.

RAC fuel spokesperson, Simon Williams, said: “On the face of it, December looks like it was a good month for drivers with 9p coming off at the pumps on top of November’s 6p, but there’s no question that the drop should have been far bigger given how far wholesale prices have come down.

“For weeks we’ve been calling on the big four supermarkets to cut their prices more substantially to give drivers a fairer deal when they fill up, so even though they have reduced their prices collectively by more than 10p a litre in December, they are still nowhere near where they should be given the scale of the drop in wholesale prices.

“We hope the Business Secretary’s intervention just before Christmas puts more pressure on larger retailers to do the right thing.”

He said prices in Europe were ‘considerably cheaper’ thank in the UK.

“In fact, when compared to the 27 EU countries, we currently have the second most expensive diesel and the sixth most expensive petrol,” Mr Williams added.

Prices at the pump have not yet fallen as far as they should, according to the RAC

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Motoring MP backs minister over fuel probe

FUEL companies are being asked to divulge pricing strategies as part of a probe into how prices at the pump vary.

Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Secretary Grant Shapps has written to fuel retailers urging them to reveal the details as part of an investigation by the Competitions and Market Authority (CMA).

The probe is intended to bring clarity and transparency to how prices at the pumps are calculated.

“Although I am encouraged to note that this Government’s cut in fuel duty announced in March 2022 has been passed on to consumers, it is concerning to see that the CMA’s emerging findings point to retail fuel margins rising year on year over the past five years ahead of general inflation,” Mr Shapps wrote.

“In addition, their analysis has found evidence that on occasion the price of fuel at the pump has fallen more slowly than it rises following changes in the price of crude oil.

“As a result, the CMA will continue to investigate the retail sector further, with a focus on the relationship between wholesale and retail fuel prices, factors driving local and regional variations in prices, and the role played by major supermarkets in the road fuel retail sector.”

The move was welcomed by West Dorset MP Chris Loder, who says fuel pricing strategies have left residents in towns like Bridport having to pay hefty premiums or travel many miles to fill up at up to 20p per litre less at the same retail chain.

Mr Loder said: “Since my intervention at Prime Ministers Questions on November 9, we have seen progress with the CMA’s investigation which, still ongoing, is highlighting many of the unfair pricing practices we all feared were happening.

“I am very pleased that, after shining a spotlight on this issue, the Government is acting swiftly in the interests of fairness for the consumer.”

Mr Loder met with Dan Turnbull, director of the Competitions and Market Authority (CMA) on December 16, urging them to take Bridport’s fuel price situation as a case study for their investigation.

Mr Shapps said he would be looking ‘very closely’ at the CMA’s report, and could take action if necessary.

“This Government will not hesitate to act to ensure competition is healthy and consumers get a fair deal on their fuel,” he added in his letter to the firms.

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Motoring

Catalytic converter thefts on the rise, new police FoI figures reveal

AROUND 100,00 catalytic converters were stolen from cars in the UK over the last three years, new figures reveal - and only 1 percent of cases are solved.

Freedom of Information requests submitted to police forces by the Liberal Democrats revealed the data.

Catalytic converters are fitted to a vehicle’s exhaust system to reduce the amount of emissions and pollutants produced by the vehicle. They contain expensive metals that have shot up in price in recent years.

Hybrid vehicles are often targeted, as the precious metals within them are usually less corroded.

Thousands are taken every year, but data from 20 police forces in England and Wales between 2017 and 2021 indicated that only 548 suspects were charged.

The Freedom of Information (FOI) request found 50,223 thefts were reported during the five-year period, but did not include some of the countries largest police areas.

The problem is likely far worse than reported, as illustrated by a second, more comprehensive FOI from OPAL and Sky News, which puts the three-year figure at almost 100,000.

London had the highest number of thefts – with 36,658. Only 544 crimes were solved.

Police across the UK have reported that they can easily be removed in under a minute, and are often stolen from vehicles in car parks. They are then sold to scrapyards, online or shipped abroad.

RAC Insurance spokesperson, Simon Williams, said: “Catalytic converters contain a mixture of precious metals which, as this data shows, is something that criminals are increasingly exploiting.

“It’s concerning to see just how unlikely it is for perpetrators to be brought to justice and reinforces why drivers need to do everything they can to avoid becoming victims in the first place.

“When at home, anyone with a lockable garage should park their car in it. But how a driver parks their car can also make a difference to how likely they are to have the catalytic converter stolen.

“The key is making it difficult for someone to get around and under a vehicle, so parking close to a wall or fence – with the exhaust nearest it – can make it harder for a car to be jacked up.

“In a public car park, parking alongside other vehicles is also a good idea, as is pointing the bonnet towards a wall if there is one.

“Drivers might also want to consider investing in a ‘catloc’ or ‘cage clamp’ which locks around the catalytic converter and makes it harder to remove.

“If the worst does happen, it’s vital to be covered by a good and fully comprehensive insurance policy.

“Drivers can also contact their car’s manufacturer to see if they offer a free catalytic converter marking service, which can help the police if they’re able to recover the part.”

The RAC said many catalytic converters are shipped abroad soon after the crime, tracing them and stopping the thieves is very challenging.

Police forces around the UK have launched campaigns to increase the traceability of these parts. These include adding a SmartWater solution to the vehicle or getting catalytic converters serialised to make them easier to track after a robbery.

Cost of charging electric cars is rising, new data shows

THE cost of using publicly accessible rapid and ultra-rapid chargers has risen by 50% since May, new data shows.

The RAC Charge Watch shows it now costs an average of 70.32p per kilowatt hour to rapid charge an electric vehicle on a pay-as-you-go basis, up from 44.55p (58%) last May and from 63.29p (11%) last September.

The rises, driven by further increases in the wholesale cost of electricity, mean drivers now pay £36 to charge a typical family-sized electric car with a 64kWh battery to its 80% rapid or ultra-rapid limit – enough to cover around 188 miles.

This is more than twice the cost of charging the same car at home, something most EV drivers can do, with the price of such a charge coming in at just £17.87 – despite the record high domestic energy prices.

The price of using the fastest ultra-rapid chargers, which have power outputs of over 100kW and can charge many cars in a matter of minutes, now stands at 74.79p per kilowatt hour, up from 50.97p in May 2022 (47%) and 63.94p in September.

Drivers relying on these chargers pay £38.29 today for an 80% charge, £20.42 more than those fortunate enough to do all their charging at home.

It can be more expensive for an EV driver to recharge quickly on a longer journey than it is for a petrol and diesel drivers to refuel.

Drivers using rapid chargers now pay 20p per mile for their electricity, only a penny less than those using less common ultra-rapid chargers, who pay 21p per mile.