Fuel is a huge annual cost for motorists across Britain to keep their cost on the road and with varying fuel prices. In March the average price of petrol increased by 2p to 122.58p, according to data from RAC Fuel Watch. This followed a slight dip inflated costs after a torrid year of increase in 2018. February marked the end of three consecutive months of tumbling fuel prices in the UK. Since November 2018, 11 pence has come off the price of a litre of petrol, while diesel fell by 8 pence in the same period.
Motorists across Britain largely face a postcode lottery when it comes to fuel costs and some areas face paying significantly more than others.
In fact, research by GoCompare suggests that the difference between the cheapest and most expensive fuel price in a region can vary by as much as 35 pence per litre.
Competition is one of the main reasons for fluctuating prices. In more densely populated areas of the country or near supermarkets prices tend to be cheaper as drivers have more options while those in rural areas tend to charge more.
On average, those who work and fill up in London have to spend just 5.36% of their hourly salary per litre of fuel, while those in the East Midlands spend 8.37 per cent on average.
Regions from most to least affordable
1. London – 5.36 per cent
2. South East – 6.74 per cent
3. East of England – 6.77 per cent
4. Scotland – 7.37 per cent
5. Wales – 7.56 per cent
6. South West – 7.56 per cent
7. Yorkshire and the Humber – 7.82 per cent
8. North West – 7.98 per cent
9. North East – 8.05 per cent
10. West Midlands – 8.18 per cent
11.East Midlands – 8.37 per cent
Of the most affordable regions, St Albans is actually the most affordable city with residents spending just 4.2% of their hourly wage per litre of fuel.
Central London still comes in second place (London was divided into Central, North, East, South, and West due to its size and disparity between the different areas).
Motorists in Hull spend the greatest slice of their wages at the pump; with almost one-tenth (9.5%) of the city’s average hourly earnings needed to pay for one litre of petrol.
The five most affordable cities
1. St Albans – 4.2 per cent
2. Central London – 4.4 per cent
3. Guildford – 5.2 per cent
4. South London – 5.4 per cent
5. West London – 5.6 per cent
The five least affordable cities
1. Hull – 9.5 per cent
2. Leicester – 9.3 per cent
3. Lancaster – 9.2 per cent
4. Lincoln – 9.2 per cent
5. Stoke-on-Trent – 8.9 per cent
However, Confused.com research found that Blackpool pays the least for their fuel at 120.0p per litre and Lerwick drivers fork out the most at 130.5p for petrol. Diesel motorists pay the least in Lincoln (128.4p) while West London drivers have the highest fuel bill.
Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, says: “Fuel prices across the North West are increasing and showing little sign of slowing down.
“And this is the same for the rest of the UK. Just when we thought we were out of the woods – fuel prices start to go up again. No wonder drivers are confused.
“It’s typical that this is happening at a time when the UK is about to enter economic uncertainty.
“But in the long run, motorists should be doing all they can to save on fuel costs.”
You can calculate the amount of fuel you are likely to use with the Confused.com Fuel Calculator.
Petrol
Cheapest
- 120.0p – Blackpool (FY)
- 121.0p – Cleveland (TS)
- 121.1p – Bradford (BD)
- 121.2p – Sunderland (SR)
- 121.4p – Edinburgh (EH)
Most expensive
- 130.5p – Lerwick (ZE)
- 129.5p – Kirkwall (KW)
- 129.0p – Outer Hebrides (HS)
- 128.1p – West London (W)
- 126.6p – Isle of Man (IM)