RAC reacts to sub-£1 a litre diesel offered at Midlands filling stations

RAC Fuel Watch spokesman Simon Williams said: “It’s great that motorists in the Midlands are the first in the country to benefit from £1 a litre diesel and it’s also good to see that it’s an independent filling station that’s beaten the supermarkets to this landmark.

“The supermarkets had the scope to cut diesel to below £1 a litre a week ago as the wholesale price has been low enough for this to happen for the last two weeks. Maybe this will be the spark they finally need to make the move and treat diesel drivers to a Christmas fill-up atunder£1 a litre for the first time since the spring of 2009.

“As the supermarkets pride themselves on providing the cheapest fuel in the country, it’s hard to understand why they’ve held back on reducing diesel pump prices faster and more substantially. The only plausible explanation is that they are using the saving in the wholesale price of diesel to make up for the thin margin they are making by keeping petrol at sub-£1.

“One unnamed supermarket has been reported in the media today as saying £1 a litre diesel will be a reality in the new year. However, the data that RAC Fuel Watch monitors – which is the same as the retailers use – clearly shows this is possible before Christmas.”