Motorists are being ripped off by petrol companies,claims the AA has which says falling oil prices are not being reflected on forecourts.
The motoring group calculates drivers are overcharged by more than £5 a tank. “Questions will be asked about the fairness of pump prices during the great oil crash of 2020,” the AA said. The RAC has said the same.
Bu Brian Madderson, chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association, said that independent retailers are “struggling to survive” and smaller filling stations had seen dramatic declines in sales and yet were vital to many rural areas.
“These petrol stations have been hit very hard by the biggest, fastest drop in demand that any of us has ever witnessed” said Brian Madderson, Chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA).
“For some of our members, this drop has been as much as 85% of normal volume leading to a huge cash flow crisis.”
The Independent Garage Association (IGA) has written a follow-up letter to Robert Jenrick MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, regarding the inconsistency of local authorities’ classification of independent garages within business rate relief legislation.
The price of oil has crashed in recent days, leaving the wholesale price of petrol bobbing around the 16p a litre mark, according to the AA. But the average pump price for unleaded has remained around the £1.10 mark, inching only slightly below that this week.
While the bulk of that price is made up of tax, the AA reckons average pump prices should be about £1.
The Independent Garage Association is requesting that retail businesses operating from industrial premises are specifically included on the list of businesses eligible for the Retail Business Rates Relief Scheme.
Stuart James, IGA Chief Executive said,“Independent garages are being asked to remain open to support key worker mobility, but a high level of inconsistency remains across local councils when it comes to support.
“We urgently ask the Secretary of State to provide clarity to local councils that garages are retail businesses, and as such are eligible for the assistance under the Covid-19 Retails Business Rates Relief Scheme and Business Interruption Grant.
“Including these local garage businesses specifically will enable them to stay open for the benefit of our key workers and give them the best chance of survival through the crisis.”