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The trade body for filling stations in the UK has denied allegations that petrol retailers have been profiteering from the falling price of oil on international markets.
Although the price of oil has been falling steadily over the last couple of weeks, dipping back below $100/barrel, the retail price of petrol and diesel in the UK has continued to rise, provoking claims that filling stations are maximising profits before cutting their own prices.
“Prices for crude oil and forecourt fuel are obviously linked but they do not move in tandem,” says Ray Holloway of the Petrol Retailers Association, “therefore they do not automatically move up or down at the same time.”
Holloway also claims that international currency markets have been having an impact on UK prices: “all oil products are priced in US Dollars therefore exchange rate variation impacts on the retail pump price. If the exchange rate of 1 August (£1.974 to $1) applied on 12 September (£1.792 to $1) motorists would be paying approximately five pence less for each litre.”
Holloway added that he believes the price of fuel will decline during the Autumn, and that falls should be evident on forecourts within the next ten days.
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