Petrol and diesel prices creep up again
Petrol prices rise again, with tensions in the Middle East reportedly fueling the surge.
Motorcyclists heading out for summer rides might want to brace themselves before stopping at the pumps, as fuel prices have climbed for the second month in a row, according to new RAC Fuel Watch figures.
In July, the average price of unleaded crept up by nearly a penny – from 134.15p to 135p per litre – while diesel took a bigger leap, rising 1.64p to 142.85p. That’s on top of June’s increases of 2p and 3p respectively, meaning petrol is now almost 3p dearer and diesel up 4.5p since the start of summer.
For those on two wheels, the pain is smaller than for car drivers filling a 55-litre tank (£74.26 for petrol, £78.57 for diesel), but it still adds up. A typical 17-litre motorcycle tank now costs around £23 to brim with unleaded – and that’s before you’ve ridden anywhere.
Petrol is now at its highest since mid-April, and diesel hasn’t been this expensive since March. Supermarket forecourts soften the blow slightly, averaging 131.5p for petrol and 139p for diesel – roughly 4p cheaper than the national average. Costco members do even better, paying around 125.6p and 133.2p respectively.
Northern Ireland remains the UK’s fuel-price champion, with unleaded averaging 128p and diesel 134.5p. In England, however, prices swing wildly – from 125.7p all the way up to a motorway-daylight-robbery-level 159.9p. Scotland’s range is a little tighter (125.7p–152.9p), and Wales is narrower still (127.7p–142.9p).
RAC fuel spokesperson Simon Williams warns that riders setting off for summer trips could see higher bills:
“Drivers [and riders] are still meant to be benefiting from a 5p-a-litre fuel duty discount, yet retailer margins remain high – especially on petrol. Northern Ireland shows fuel can be 7p cheaper than the UK average.”
The RAC urges riders to shop around and use price-tracking apps like myRAC to sniff out the cheapest forecourts. After all, that extra fiver saved on fuel could go towards a coffee, a bacon roll, or a new visor sticker at your favourite biker café.
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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!
