Big four supermarkets accused of exploiting Ukraine war to rip off drivers

SUPERMARKETS have been accused of exploiting the Ukraine war to rip off drivers.

The big four’s fuel stations, which control almost half of the UK market, have doubled profit margins since the Russian invasion, according to the RAC.

They are up from 3.7p to 9.3p a litre for petrol and 5.7p to 10.8p on diesel.

The competition watchdog has already accused retailers of overcharging drivers by £900million as they keep prices high while oil costs fall.

Simon Williams of the RAC said: “These bloated margins must make difficult reading for the millions already battling the rising cost of living.”

After a meeting with the Government, bosses at Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons last week agreed to a fuel price checker to help motorists.

The Sun’s long-running Keep It Down campaign has called for a Pump Watch to be created.

The competition regulator said this week that supermarkets competed more aggressively on food than they did on fuel.