Petrol and diesel drivers have been hit with staggering fuel rises in March as the current crisis continues.
Petrol and diesel costs soared in March (Image: Getty)
British motorists are dealing with the highest petrol and diesel increase ever as forecourt fees continue to soar. New data from the RAC has found a litre of unleaded rose by 20p per litre across the month, with fees up from 132.83p to 152.83p per litre.
The increase has beaten the previous all-time biggest monthly jump of 16.6p per litre in a blow to cash-strapped motorists. The sudden increase has added £11 to the bill of filling up a 55-litre petrol family car, which now stands at just over £84.
Diesel drivers are struggling with a 40p rise (Image: Getty)
Meanwhile, the price of topping up a diesel model has increased by £22, with a full tank now exceeding £100. RAC head of policy Simon Williams explained that fuel hikes had now far exceeded the rises seen in the early days of the Ukraine war.
Simon said: “March has been truly unprecedented – fuel prices have never risen this fast in a single month. But while this is the biggest pence-per-litre increase ever in a month, it’s not as great in real terms as those seen during the 1973 oil crisis when the price of a barrel quadrupled.”
However, average fuel prices are still some way off the all-time highs recorded back in the summer of 2022 when petrol peaked at an average of 191.5p with diesel at 199p per litre. RAC analysis of wholesale fuel data has suggested that the price of petrol could potentially stabilise if the cost of oil doesn’t increase further.
However, the experts have admitted that diesel looks likely to continue going up in price. RAC Fuel Watch still says petrol and diesel fuel costs are “likely to rise”, meaning further increases could be on the horizon.
Simon added: “While the monthly rise in a litre of petrol is bad enough, the jump in the cost of diesel is even harder to swallow at 40p a litre – 18p more than the previous monthly record.
“With long-term RAC research showing eight-in-10 people are dependent on their vehicles, these costs must really be taking their toll on both households as well as businesses.”