Drivers are being overcharged every time they fill up, with each tank of diesel an estimated £4.40 too much and petrol £2.75, it is claimed. The accusation comes from the RAC which estimates that petrol is 5p a litre too expensive and diesel is 8p a litre more than is fair.
The motoring organisation said the margins between what retailers, including supermarkets, are paying for fuel and selling it to drivers continues to run well above historic averages.
The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) recently said this equates to drivers paying an astonishing £1.6 billion a year more than should be expected.
The CMA says the high prices are a reflection of a lack of competition, while the retailers themselves claim the higher prices are driven by increased costs.
However, the RAC and watchdogs point to the fact that fuel prices are generally much cheaper in Northern Ireland where there is strong competition.
Research by the RAC found petrol and diesel prices remained “stubbornly static” in July at 145p (144.76p) and 150p (149.8p) per litre.
It said: “Despite wholesale prices…
