Asda and Morrisons slash petrol prices in war to become cheapest at the pumps
Tesco and Sainsbury's follow suit with cuts of up to 2p per litre
A FLURRY of price cuts at the pumps today saw Morrisons take on Asda as the lowest priced place for petrol.
All of the Big Four supermarkets cut prices after calls last week for forecourts to pass on savings on wholesale costs.
Both Morrisons and Asda said motorists will pay no more than 105.7p per litre on unleaded and 106.7p on diesel – a cut of around 2p on current limits.
Tesco and Sainsbury’s also cut pump prices by “up to” 2p per litre but neither have a national cap.
Both tend to be pricier than their two rivals.
Morrisons had also cut fuel prices a week ago – a move none of its rivalled followed.
Up until the cuts today, Asda – over the past decade or so – has tended to be the cheapest.
Those filling up at Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons can also collect loyalty points.
Asda doesn’t run such a scheme.
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Avishai Moor, Sainsbury’s head of fuel, said: “We’re glad to be making our customers’ money go even further as they get out and about this summer.”
The move by supermarkets will force fuel specialists like BP, Shell and Esso to react.
But these are traditionally always a few pence per litre dearer as they have a bigger network serving a wider area.
The oil price, currently the biggest factor determining UK fuel prices besides fuel duty, is now at its lowest level since early May – around $43 a barrel.
As a result, wholesale costs including VAT – the price retailers buy fuel for – have been falling for nearly a month.
Compared to four weeks ago, petrol per litre is down 3.49p to 103.65p and diesel is now 104.32p, down 3.66p.
The RAC said last week that unleaded and diesel pump prices would have fallen by these amounts if outlets had passed on savings.
Today RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “A 2p a litre supermarket cut in the price of petrol and diesel from a major supermarket is of course good news for motorist.
“It’s just a shame it didn’t come sooner.”
Until today, of the Big Four supermarkets, the only one that had cut prices was Morrisons with a 2p per litre cut just over a week ago.
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