Diesel prices vary by over 15p per litre across UK, Allstar finds

Fuel card firm Allstar has found that regional variations in diesel prices exceeded 15p per litre in May, despite the general reduction in prices nationwide.

Prices for diesel averaged 175.05p per litre in Londonderry, compared with 190.64p per litre in Monmouthshire, a gap of 15.59p per litre.

This was larger than April’s spread of 12.78p per litre, despite average nationwide prices falling by 3.49p per litre from April to May.

Allstar warned that fleets may be impacted differently based on which region they operate in, with prices down 6.04p month-on-month in Northern Ireland, compared with 3.32p on average in England.

Variation in petrol prices was smaller in May, with prices averaging 154.82p per litre in Northern Ireland, compared with Scotland, which saw the highest average prices (159.28p).

Paul Holland, managing director for UK/ANZ vehicle payments at Corpay, including UK brand Allstar, said: “The three months covered by this data illustrates exactly the kind of fuel price volatility that makes cost management so challenging for fleet operators and drivers.

“Prices rose sharply in March, rose again by an even larger amount in April and have now begun to ease. But despite that, costs remain dramatically higher than they were at the start of the period.

“The challenge for businesses is no longer simply that fuel is expensive. It is the speed and unpredictability with which prices are moving.