The price of diesel surged by more than 8 pence per litre in September, while petrol prices increased by 4.5 pence, leaving British motorists feeling the pinch.
According to data from RAC Fuel Watch, this spike in fuel costs marks the third consecutive monthly increase for diesel and the fourth for petrol.
These price hikes are attributed to global oil production cuts, which have pushed the cost of a barrel close to the $100 (£82.9) mark.
Diesel prices increased from 154.78p at the start of September to 163.11p at month’s end, marking the fifth-largest monthly rise since the turn of the century.
Unleaded petrol prices, on the other hand, rose from 152.49p to 157.01p, making it the 13th largest monthly increase in the last 23 years.
These increases follow significant rises in August, where petrol increased by nearly 7 pence and diesel by an additional 8 pence.
Filling up a typical 55-litre family diesel car now costs nearly £90, an increase of approximately £4 in a single month, reaching the highest cost since April, according to RAC.
Similarly, it now costs more than £86 to fill up a comparable petrol car, reflecting an increase of over £2 in September, the highest cost since December 2022.
RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “It’s worrying that retailer margin across the UK is higher for petrol than it should be considering the big four supermarkets were told off by the Competition and Markets Authority for overcharging drivers by £900m in 2022.
“While many have voluntarily started to publish their prices ahead of being mandated to in law, we still have a situation where wholesale price changes aren’t being fairly reflected on the forecourt.”
