Middle East crisis causes Fuel prices to surge as petrol set to hit 160p per litre
As petrol prices climb across the UK, data from the RAC shows why fuel-efficient bikes should once again appeal to commuters.
With fuel prices on the rise again across the UK, the humble motorcycle could once more start looking like a smart way to get from A to B without emptying your wallet.
Fresh figures from the RAC show petrol and diesel prices climbing sharply in recent days, with the organisation warning that drivers – and riders – may face further increases in the coming weeks as global oil prices continue to rise.
According to the RAC’s head of policy, Simon Williams, average fuel prices have surged since the end of February.
“Average petrol and diesel prices have rocketed in the last week and are unfortunately likely to keep on rising, so the situation for UK drivers is looking increasingly bleak,” he said.
Petrol has climbed to roughly 137.5p per litre, while diesel has jumped even more dramatically to around 151p. Separate RAC figures show petrol rising 3.7p to 136.53p and diesel increasing by 6p to 148.35p in less than a week, pushing diesel to its highest point in 16 months.
And the outlook suggests this may only be the start.
“Unleaded is almost certainly going to reach an average of 140p in the next week or so while diesel looks highly likely to climb to at least 160p a litre,” Williams added. “With oil at a sustained $100, petrol could rise towards 150p a litre – a price not seen since June 2024 – while diesel could reach almost 180p.”
The price of oil has jumped past $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022 after the United States and Israel carried out airstrikes on Iran last weekend. The move has sparked fresh instability across the Middle East, which produces more than 30 per cent of the world's crude oil.
Despite the potential knock-on effect at the pumps, the US president Donald Trump described rising fuel prices as a “small price to pay”. Which is easy to say for him, as he probably doesn’t fuel up Air Force One using his own credit card.
For many commuters, that kind of increase quickly adds up. Filling a typical 55-litre family car is already around £2 more expensive for petrol drivers and nearly £3.30 more for diesel than it was just days ago.
For riders, however, the maths can look very different. Most motorcycles use far less fuel than the average car, and many modern middleweight bikes regularly return between 50 and 80mpg or more in everyday riding.
If pump prices continue to climb, that kind of efficiency could once again make two wheels one of the cheaper ways to tackle the daily commute.
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In This Article
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
