Hundreds of drivers forced to charge family and friends as petrol costs soar

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Hundreds of drivers are concerned about rising petrol and diesel prices as costs continue to spiral out of control.

According to the RAC, petrol prices have risen for a fourth consecutive month in a blow to cash-strapped motorists.

The group revealed that Unleaded fuel went up on average from £1.52 to £.57 in September.

Diesel was also up a staggering 8p per litre with averages now at £1.62, up from £1.54 last month.

This pushes the average price of topping up a family car to £86 as the cost of living crisis continues.

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A new poll from Close Brothers Motor Finance found a staggering 51 percent of 2,000 drivers said rising costs were the biggest challenge facing road users.

One in ten respondents said they were having to ask passengers to contribute towards the price of fuel when giving others lifts.

Meanwhile, over a quarter have had to cut back on how often they use their car in a bid to cut back on costs.

Lisa Watson, director of sales at Close Brothers Motor Finance said the latest findings would ramp up the pressure on poorer households.

She explained: “The ongoing hike at the pumps will add further pressure to drivers who already feel they’re faced with increased costs from all lanes.

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“Consumers all over the country are looking at ways to tackle the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. With high-interest rates, inflation and the increasing prices at petrol pumps – many are now having to explore other measures to stretch their finances further – including charging loved ones for fuel when giving them a lift.”

The RAC said the increased costs were mostly driven by higher global oil prices.

However, they did claim petrol was being “overpriced” in a thinly-veiled dig at businesses.

This was met with opposition by the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) who called out the breakdown groups’ allegations.

Gordon Balmer, Executive Director of the PRA said it was “disappointing” to see such “sensational” claims.

He added: “The prices of petrol and diesel have continued to rise throughout September, driven by Saudi Arabia’s decision to extend its crude oil production cut until the end of the year and the weakening of Sterling against the US Dollar.

The PRA represents independent fuel retailers, which accounts for 64 percent of all forecourts, many of which are small family-run businesses.

“Contrary to claims made by the RAC, our members are not unjustifiably pricing petrol higher than needed. Fuel margins have been under pressure due to increased operational costs that our members have had to bear.”

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