Price of unleaded rockets past diesel
Unleaded petrol is currently more expensive than diesel at a service station near Wolverhampton - with experts warning more will follow suit.
The BP Garage in Birmingham New Road, Coseley, was today selling unleaded for 102p a litre – a penny more than diesel. Unleaded traditionally has been cheaper than diesel.
But it is set to continue soaring, the Association of British Drivers insist.
Experts blame the increase on speculators in the City pushing prices up whenever there is a hint of economic recovery, and that any risk of diesel prices going up is being tempered by an over-supply.
Petrol station owners in Wolverhampton reckon the wholesale price of petrol, which is what they pay before it reaches the forecourts, was now 4p more for unleaded than diesel.
Paul Biggs, of the Association of British Drivers, said: "There is good news for diesel drivers but the fact that unleaded is going up again is not."
At press time, diesel was still outstripping petrol by about 5p a litre at garages in the city, although that is expected to change over the coming weeks.
At the BP Garage in Willenhall Road, unleaded was 99.9p a litre, while diesel was 104.9p. At Waitrose in Marston Road, Penn, petrol was 97.9p a litre compared to 101.9p for diesel.
Shailesh Parekh, owner of Molineux Service Station in Stafford Road, said: "The wholesale price of unleaded petrol is actually now 4p more than diesel.
"I am making a loss on unleaded, even though we sell it for 103.9p a litre, just below diesel at 104p."
The UK average for a litre of unleaded is currently 97.9p and £103.5 for diesel. The owner of the BP Garage in Coseley refused to comment on its prices.
