London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Petrol prices: Average cost of filling a family car hits £100 for first time

Petrol prices: Average cost of filling a family car hits £100 for first time

The RAC has described the milestone - based on the cost of filling a 55-litre tank - as a "truly dark day for drivers". Along with the AA, it urged the government to step in, dismissing as "paltry" one measure taken by Chancellor Rishi Sunak three months ago.

The average cost of filling a typical family car with petrol has surpassed £100 for the first time, the RAC has said.

The situation is likely to worsen the cost of living crisis for motorists and for customers, as businesses will at some point look to pass on their rising costs.

Simon Williams, the RAC's fuel spokesperson, said: "It's a truly dark day today for drivers, with petrol now crossing the thoroughly depressing threshold of £100 a tank (£100.27p). A complete diesel fill-up now costs £103.43.

"With average prices so high - 182.31p for a litre of unleaded and 188.05p for diesel - there's almost certainly going to be upward inflationary pressure, which is bad news for everybody."


In an effort to shield drivers from rising costs, Chancellor Rishi Sunak cut fuel duty by 5p three months ago, but the RAC said the measure now looks "paltry".

It said wholesale petrol costs had risen by five times that amount since then.

Mr Williams urged the government to cut the duty further or to temporarily reduce VAT.

He said the government is taking about 30p in VAT from every litre, up from 25p before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as 53p in fuel duty from every litre.

The AA echoed his calls, urging the government to cut fuel duty by 10p a litre immediately and to introduce a fuel price stabiliser, which would reduce fuel duty when prices increase and increase it when prices fall.


Edmund King, its president, said: "Enough is enough. The government must act urgently to reduce the record fuel prices which are crippling the lives of those on lower incomes, rural areas and businesses."

He added: "A fuel price stabiliser is a fair means for the Treasury to help regulate the pump price but alongside this they need to bring in more fuel price transparency to stop the daily rip-offs at the pumps.

"The £100 tank is not sustainable with the general cost of living crisis so the underlying issues need to be addressed urgently."

Prices at the pumps have risen sharply in recent months, driven by the spiralling cost of oil.

The price of crude oil plummeted during the early days of the pandemic as stay-at-home orders in many countries hit demand.

After major economies reopened, prices gradually rose until February when Russia, one of the major oil producers, invaded Ukraine, forcing Brent crude prices to hit about $130 a barrel.

The concerns about oil supply have coincided with China's massive manufacturing sector returning to business after the easing of pandemic restrictions there - which will increase demand.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
×