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Supermarket petrol war sparks price drop

Supermarkets are once again at war over petrol prices, making fuel more affordable for UK motorists.

Sainsbury’s announced it would be setting a pence per litre ceiling of 129.9 ─ a reduction brought about by a drop in the wholesale price of fuel. The new price will come into effect at its 286 forecourts from September 28th, 2013.

Asda has since reacted by announcing it will reduce unleaded to 128.7 pence per litre, starting from the same date as Sainsbury’s offer.

Diesel at Sainsbury’s and Asda has also been made cheaper, priced at 135.7 and 136.9 pence a litre, respectively.

“Our prices are the lowest they have been all year and our national price cap on fuel benefits everyone across the country, meaning that no one filling up at Asda is forced to pay a premium for their fuel because of where they live,” Asda petrol trading director Andy Peake explained.

“We want our customers to benefit from the recent drop in the wholesale price of fuel,” Sainsbury’s head of fuel Richard Crampton said.

It was initially feared an attack on Syria could affect the price of crude oil because of supply disruption. Now that military action is off the table, at least for now, the wholesale price of fuel has dropped from 47p to 45p ─ much less than the 52p high reached in the last week of August.

Tesco recently announced it would be reducing its fuel price. Unleaded is now 3p cheaper per litre and diesel 2p cheaper. Shoppers can also benefit from a further 5p off a litre if they spend more than £50 in store.

Morrisons-goers can expect unleaded and diesel to be 2p and 1p cheaper per litre, respectively.

A number of motoring organisations have said the move is a positive one. “It may only seem a small saving per tank but the overall savings really add up over time and it’s important that the retailers pass on these savings as quickly as possible to maintain the confidence and trust of motorists,” RAC head of external affairs Pete Williams commented.

The AA added: “It should turn what has been, up to now, a phoney fuel price war into one that means something to hard-pressed drivers.”

To make your fuel go even further, you could do worse than read our guide on the best ways to save it.

Image: Flickr 

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