Morrisons and Asda cut up to 12p per litre off fuel sparking supermarket petrol price war
MORRISONS and Asda have slashed up to 12p off the price of fuel because of coronavirus in an unprecedented boost for drivers.
Both supermarkets have knocked 12p-a-litre off unleaded and 8p-a-litre off diesel, in what's believed to be the largest ever single price cut of this size.
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Asda said drivers will now pay no more than 102p-a-litre on unleaded and 108.7p-a-litre on diesel when filling up.
According to the supermarket, this brings prices down to the lowest they've sold fuel at since May 2016.
Morrisons told us on average, drivers will pay 116p-a-litre for unleaded and 118.5p-a-litre for diesel.
The new lower prices will be available in all Morrisons and Asda fuel forecourts today.
Ways to cut down on your fuel costs
HERE are some tips on how you can slash the cost of fuel:
- Make your car more fuel-efficient. You can do this by keeping your tyres inflated, taking the roof rack off, emptying your car of clutter and turning off your air con when driving at lower speeds.
- Find the cheapest fuel prices. PetrolPrices.com and Confused.com allows you to search prices of UK petrol stations. All you need to do is enter in your postcode and tell it how far you want to travel (up to 20 miles).
- Drive more efficiently. Some ways to do this, include:
- Accelerate gradually without over-revving
- Always drive on the highest possible gear
- If you can, allow your car to slow down naturally as your brake is a money burner
- Re-starting your car is expensive, if you can keep moving
We've asked Sainsbury's and Tesco if they have similar reductions planned and we'll update this article when we know more.
It comes after experts predicted petrol prices would be slashed to historic levels due to coronavirus.
The RAC says it's not aware of there ever being a single price cut of this size before.
RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: "These unprecedented times are leading to unprecedented price cuts on fuel – the largest single cut from a retailer we’ve ever seen.
"The price of oil has fallen so far – down to an 18-year low – that it was inevitable that pump prices would eventually follow suit.
"These savings will directly benefit those people who continue to rely on their vehicles for essential journeys.
"It is vital however that drivers heed Government advice and only travel if it is absolutely needed."
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Luke Bosdet, the AA’s fuel price spokesman, said: "Such a huge cut in pump prices is very welcome.
"It is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise gloomy outlook.
"However, we urge drivers to think carefully before making unnecessary road trips that may put them in proximity of other people."
The price of crude oil has continued to slide amid the coronavirus epidemic, with Brent crude changing hands 1 per cent lower at £23.09 a barrel at the time of writing.
The supermarkets last cut the price of fuel on March 10, knocking 2p off the price of petrol and diesel across Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco forecourts.
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