DRIVERS in Basingstoke can expect to pay less for fuel than in the rest of the UK, new research has found. 

According to the latest national statistics, put together by fuel card supplier Allstar, the average petrol price in the UK is 149.75 pence per litre.

However, the top 10 cheapest petrol stations in Basingstoke all offer lower prices than this.

Texaco, in Aldermaston Road, has the cheapest petrol in the town centre, at 137.9 pence per litre for petrol, while Morrisons offers the cheapest diesel at 144.7.

Tesco and Asda are close behind, with BP and Shell garages offering slightly higher prices (as of Tuesday, August 20).

This means that if a Basingstoke driver fills up their car at the cheapest petrol station in town, they would spend an average of £19.88 a week on petrol, or £20.90 on diesel.

Basingstoke’s average weekly salary is £744, so a petrol driver spends 2.67 per cent of their salary on fuel (2.8 per cent for diesel). 

Across the UK, the average driver spends £21.05 (3.05 per cent of average salary) on petrol, or £21.77 (3.16 per cent of average salary) on diesel.

By contrast, drivers across the rest of Hampshire are paying more to fill up their cars than elsewhere in the UK.

Hampshire's average price is 146.31 pence per litre, whilst diesel is 152.56 pence per litre. 

The most expensive county to fill up in is Warwickshire, while Pembrokeshire is the cheapest. 

Simon Williams, of the RAC, said there were various reasons for a discrepancy in prices such as transportation costs, supply and demand, and market competition. 

In regions like Warwickshire and Monmouthshire, transportation costs play a significant role in fuel prices.

He said: "The distance from refineries is a significant factor that impacts fuel prices in different regions. Rural areas that are further from major distribution centres tend to face higher costs due to increased transportation expenses."

Places like Pembrokeshire are home to large refineries and therefore have lower transportation costs, despite also being largely rural.

He also said that areas with dense populations typically have a higher demand for fuel leading to increased competition for the limited supply. 

Edmund King, of the AA, said areas that prices will be lower in places that have more than one fuel supplier.

He said: "In areas where there's a lack of competition among fuel suppliers, prices are likely to be higher because consumers have fewer options. Encouraging more suppliers to enter the market could help drive prices down."

  • This article was written by Flora Symington