Petrol prices plunge 30p per litre from record high in July – how to fill up for less

FUEL prices have fallen by 30p per litre from a record high level in July.

Motorists are now saving roughly £17.40 a tank compared to last summer.

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The AA has reported the average price of petrol has plunged to less than 160p a litre.

Since unleaded peaked on July 3 at 191.53p, 30p has come off a litre leading to a saving of just over £17 on a tank.

However, diesel prices are not as cheap. It’s gone from costing 187.08p a litre last month to the latest figure of 183.87p – but that’s still down 15p since July’s 199.07p.

Yesterday, petrol prices averaged 159.88p a litre which was down 31.65p compared to July.

The cheapest unleaded fuel cost recorded this week was 149.9p at a few independent pumps in Birmingham and Pembrokeshire.

Last month, petrol prices roughly looked like this:

• Sainsbury’s – 162.56p
• Asda – 162.74p
• Morrisons – 162.83p
• Jet – 163.16p
• Texaco – 163.66p
• Tesco – 163.88p
• Murco – 165.03p
• Shell – 165.31p
• Esso – 165.85p
• BP – 166.67p

In comparison, here were the diesel prices:

• Asda – 184.90p
• Morrisons – 185.87p
• Sainsbury’s – 185.94p
• Tesco – 186.85p
• Texaco – 189.03p
• Jet – 189.04p
• Murco – 189.96p
• Esso – 190.85p
• BP – 190.99p
• Shell – 191.58p

However, it’s important to note prices can vary between locations, even if it’s the same brand.

Luke Bosdet, the AA’s spokesman on fuel prices, said: “The agility of competitive independent forecourts in reflecting plummeting wholesale costs and stealing a march on the supermarkets has been the story of UK pump prices since the summer.

“Eventually, the superstores will start to catch up, but the days of them calling the shots on lower pump prices have largely gone.”

How can I spend less on petrol?

There are plenty of ways to cut your petrol costs through little-known hacks.

For starters, you can drive more efficiently. This can mean:

• Accelerate gradually without over-revving
• Always drive on the highest possible gear
• If you can, allow your car to slow down naturally as your brake is a money burner
• Re-starting your car is expensive, so keep that in mind

There are also sites you can use to help you find the cheapest petrol prices near you, like PetrolPrices.com and Confused.com.

These allow you to search prices of UK petrol stations. All you need to do is enter in your postcode and tell it how far you want to travel (up to 20 miles).

It’s also so easy to forget about the clutter building up in your car – whether it’s tools, kids’ toys or general rubbish. But it turns out additional storage space can increase fuel costs by a whopping 12%.

So, don’t forget to do a car clear out every now and then.

And, if you’re driving at a slower speed, think about taking the roof rack off and switching off air con to save on running costs.

On the whole, remember to shop around to find the best price in case you miss a cheap pump.

We made a helpful guide last month of cheapest petrol stations, but bear in mind some of these prices might be different now.