FORECOURT bosses will be given just 30 minutes to change their pump prices or face a fine, The Sun can reveal.
Final plans for the new Pumpwatch regulator will be unveiled in the next two weeks amid continued profiteering by petrol stations and supermarkets.
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Harry Cole grilled Claire Coutinho in our taxi driver Grant Davis’ taxi tonight Credit: Arthur Edwards / The Sun
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Motorists have recently been struggling with skyrocketing prices at the pumps Credit: Joe Giddens/PA Wire
The body will track petrol and diesel prices in real time between competing forecourts to ensure Britain’s 37 million drivers get the fairest price.
Those who fail to comply or continue to charge false prices will face fines, although the exact levels are yet to be decided.
Pumpwatch was introduced by Energy Minister Claire Coutinho in January to the delight of campaigners – but until now it has been on a voluntary basis.
Now her department is ready to reveal the next phase of the scheme, to bring the companies that have continued to rip off drivers to account.
It comes as Claire Coutinho…
- SHE ADMITTED her flagship home insulation scheme is “slow to take up”
- HIT BACK at our Sun taxi driver as the pair became caught up in a fiery row
- WARNS judges who interfere in Europe to stay away from countries’ climate policies
- PROMISED mini nuclear reactors will begin to be installed across the country within the next ten years
- Calls to bring back fracking to the UK to help energy security REJECTED
- BLASTED Workers for moving too quickly to Net Zero risking “Made in China” economy
- WARNED ministers could follow the US and slap tariffs on 100 per cent Chinese electric car imports
A Ministry of Energy source said: “Drivers should get the lowest price at the pump.
“We are fighting petrol station bosses who are not passing on the savings and retailers are being forced to share real-time prices every 30 minutes or face fines.”
The RAC said the average retail margin – the difference between what businesses pay for fuel and the price at the pump – was above 18p per liter for diesel from May 7 and almost 12p per liter for petrol.
The long-term average for both fuels is 8p.
The RAC believes that if retailers charged “fairer” margins, the average price of a liter of petrol and diesel would be around 145p, down from current prices of 150p per liter for petrol and 157p per liter for diesel.
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Last night FairFuelUK’s Howard Cox, who campaigned for Pumpwatch, said “the greedy companies in the fuel supply chain know full well that they are arrogantly untouchable… their voluntary participation in the scheme was not safe.”
He called for “severe financial penalties for decades of relentless profiteering by wholesalers and oil companies to the detriment of drivers, carriers and the economy.”
Motorists have recently been hit by pump price hikes, with the cost of filling up now £5.50 more than in January.
How to check gasoline prices live
MOTORISTS will be able to check fuel prices live across the UK by the end of the year, The Sun reported earlier this year.
More than 41 million motorists will receive free information on where to buy the cheapest petrol and diesel using the Pumpwatch scheme.
The Pumpwatch site will display and update pump prices every 30 minutes — increasing competition among gas stations and reducing costs.
This could save drivers 3p per liter of fuel by helping them find the best deal at the pump.
Ministers will discuss how best to share data across websites, apps, in-car devices and maps with comparison sites, the AA and the RAC.
This freely available data will enable tech companies to develop new ways for the UK’s 41.2 million drivers to search for the cheapest fuel while on the move.
You can do this through everyday mobile apps, online mapping platforms, trip planning tools, price comparison websites and in-car devices.
A similar statewide scheme in Queensland, Australia, has saved drivers an average of $93 (£48) a year by making it easier to buy fuel.
Pumpwatch believes that forcing retailers to be transparent will help drive down prices by reigniting competition and empowering motorists to find the best deals.
Petrol prices rose 2p in April to 149.9p, while diesel rose 2p to 157.7p, the RAC said.
Energy Minister Claire Coutinho and Minister Amanda Solloway are looking for the best fuel prices
This was largely due to heightened tensions in the Middle East – which briefly sent oil prices soaring before easing again – and the pound weakening against the dollar.
The RAC accused fuel retailers of fattening their profits by quickly raising prices when oil rises and slowly reducing them when it falls.
The campaign group also called on regulators to tackle the “postcode lottery” in yard rates.
His analysis shows there is a 36p difference between the cheapest Asda garage — which charges 139.7p a liter — and the most expensive at 175.9p.
It is difficult to predict what will happen to gasoline prices because there are many factors that affect global oil prices.
But the government had previously put pressure on petrol station bosses to stop treating heavy drivers like “cash cows”.
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