Diesel drivers pay more to refuel in Britain than anywhere else in Europe

If you drive a diesel car or van, you will pay more to refuel than any other country in Europe.

Britain now has the most expensive diesel, despite the current 5p per liter duty rebate introduced in March 2022 and extended for another 12 months in the Spring Budget.

Comparing our fuel prices with those of our European neighbours, the RAC described it as a ‘highly dubious honour’ and accused retailers of pocketing exaggerated margins on every liter of diesel.

Below we show how Great Britain scores in terms of petrol prices compared to other European countries.

The average price of diesel at UK pumps is currently 155 cents per litre.

This makes it 5 cents more expensive than the next most expensive countries – Ireland and Belgium at 150 cents – based on the latest available European data and 21 cents more expensive than the European average.

The RAC data excludes Norway and Switzerland due to difficulties in obtaining the information.

Even as tax on both petrol and diesel has been reduced from 57.95 pence to 52.95 pence since spring 2022 – a measure introduced by then Chancellor Rishi Sunak to ease the burden of soaring fuel prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – Britain still has the highest tax rate. of the excise duty on diesel in Europe, in addition to Italy.

Yet the average price of a liter of diesel in Italy – where VAT on fuel is 22 percent – ​​is currently 7 cents lower than in Britain, at an average of 148 cents.

Diesel drivers in France – which charges the same 20 percent VAT on fuels as Britain, although the duty rate is about a cent lower than in Britain (52 cents) – pay about 9 cents less (146 cents) than motorists in Britain Britain.

In Belgium, where excise duties are the equivalent of 2 cents less than in Britain (51 cents) and VAT is slightly higher at 21 percent, diesel is 5 cents cheaper at 150 cents.

The RAC’s analysis shows that diesel motorists are charged much worse at the pump than their petrol users.

Comparing our average unleaded price of 149 pence per liter with the rest of Europe, Britain is 11th on the list of most expensive countries to refuel.

Astonishingly, Denmark has the most expensive petrol of all at a whopping 175 cents, although fuel duty in Denmark is much higher at an equivalent of 59 cents than in Britain, with a VAT of 25 percent.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said the UK’s incentive for diesel vehicle drivers is largely due to the UK government harassing diesel vehicle drivers retailer margins – the difference between the wholesale price supplied and the retail price before VAT.

It estimates that retailers pocket an average of about 18 cents on every liter of diesel sold.

That’s a shocking 10 cents more than the long-term average of 8 cents before the pandemic.

‘Despite the RAC bringing the issue to the attention of Energy Minister Claire Coutinho in a letter just over a week ago, the price of diesel at the pump has hardly fallen, even though wholesale prices for petrol and diesel are identical, with only 111 cents per year. gallons,” Williams said.

‘The average price of a liter of diesel should actually be around 145 cents if retailers were to charge fairer prices.

‘The margin on petrol is also unreasonably high in our opinion at 13 cents.

‘We see no good reason why retailers in Britain are not reducing prices at the pump.’

Despite the gloomy news for diesel drivers, there is some reason for hope for the future.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act became law on Friday, giving the Competition and Markets Authority new powers to keep a close eye on fuel prices and report any sign of wrongdoing to the government.