UK one of Europe's most expensive countries to refuel

UK drivers are paying some of the most expensive fuel rates in Europe, with high taxes raising unleaded 95 fuel to £1.172 per litre and diesel rates to £1.210 ($1.88) per litre, reveals an Automobile Association (AA) fuel price report for June.

The report shows British drivers have to pay the sixth most expensive gasoline in Europe, with the Netherlands (£1.259 per litre) and Norway (£1.247 per litre) having the highest prices at filling stations.

It is diesel drivers from the UK who are being “exploited and ripped off” by the fuel industry, according to Edmund King, president of the AA, by paying the highest rates in Europe.

Diesel prices rose by £0.03p from £1.207 to £1.210 a litre from May to June this year. Only three other countries in Europe pay more than £1 ($1.56) a litre for diesel: Norway, Switzerland and Italy, which pays an average of £1.090, the second highest rate.

“The same drivers will conclude that the UK government wants their tax and their votes but does little to offset the disadvantages the British driving consumer faces,” said Mr. King, as reported by BT.

PetrolPlaza reported last week that three major British retailers had cut diesel prices by £0.02 a litre, while Asda set a national diesel cap of £1.147 per litre in all their 272 gas stations.

Within the UK, Scotland recorded the highest prices for gasoline and diesel, while drivers in Northern Ireland can refuel their vehicles for the lowest prices in the country.