Petrol prices in Britain have broken through the £8-a-gallon barrier for the first time ever, with drivers facing ‘frightening’ 180p-a-litre ‘within days’, amid Ukraine crisis.
The average price at the pumps hit 177.88p a litre yesterday to bring Jubilee celebrations down to earth with a bump, particularly for drivers filling up to go home after a long Bank Holiday away.
And drivers are being warned that ‘frightening’ petrol prices will exceed an average of 180p per litre this week.
The RAC called for ‘radical government intervention’ as figures from data firm Experian Catalist showed petrol prices soared by nearly 6p per litre at UK forecourts over the half-term school holiday.
At 180p per litre, the price of filling-up a family car like a Ford Focus now costs on average £93.60, up 15% from three months ago on March 10, when it would have cost an average of £81.12.
Drivers of larger, luxury vehicles, like a Range Rover Sport, can now expect to be pumping £187.20 into the tank on each trip to the forecourt, if the vehicle is petrol. A diesel driver now faces a bill of nearly £200.
It comes as millions of already hard-pressed families in Britain are coping with a cost-of-living crisis, driving up food and energy bills, while soaring inflation is increasing the price of items in shops, from clothes to tech.
Energy prices in Europe hit record highs this year after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Europe’s top gas supplier, with European leaders so far ruling out a price cap.
