Drivers had to pay around £12 more for a tank of petrol or diesel during September, compared to the same period last year, RAC Fuel Watch data revealed.

Unleaded still went up by 1.5p to reach 136.83p, while diesel also increased by 2.5p to now stand at 139.25p.

These new prices mean petrol is now 22p more expensive per litre than this time last year, while diesel has risen by 21p.

The prices seem to be edging ever nearer to the record figures seen in April 2012, with the current figure the highest it has been since autumn 2013. Petrol is only 5.65p off the record 142.48p, while diesel is only 8.68p off the high of 147.93p.

The price rise has not been created by the fuel delivery crisis but is due to a 10.65% rise in the cost of oil, which rose from $71.29 to $78.88 last month.

Simon Williams, RAC fuel spokesman, said: “Not only are motorists struggling to put fuel in their vehicles, they are having to pay through the nose for it as the rising cost of a barrel of oil is causing further pain at the pumps.”

“As life moves ever closer to normal as the world gets to grips with Covid-19, demand for oil is outpacing supply, and with producer group OPEC+ deciding on Monday not to release more oil, the barrel price has now broken through the $80-mark for the first time in more than three years. This looks likely to spell further misery for drivers at the pumps as we head towards Christmas, especially as some analysts are predicting the price could even hit $90 before the end of the year. If this were to happen, we could see the average price of unleaded hit a new record of around 143p per litre. Diesel would shoot up to 145p which is only 3p off the record high of 147.93 in April 2021.”

“Drivers have had to endure the average price of petrol going up for 10 out of the last 12 months and now, because of the supply crisis, many have had great difficulty getting hold of it just so they can go about their daily lives. While we’ve heard of some smaller retailers taking advantage of the situation by charging very high prices for their fuel, these cases appear to be few and far between, with the majority of retailers acting responsibly.”

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