Financially challenged Welsh families are forking out more of their weekly income for fuel than Londoners.
The North East has the most expensive fuel in the entire UK, new research can reveal and they spend a bigger percentage of their weekly wage on fuel than any other region in the UK, as petrol prices hit their highest level on record.
Motorists in the North East spend £77.93 on a tank of petrol, which – as a percentage of their average weekly wage of £550 – leads to them spending 16% more of their wage on fuel than the average UK resident, and 47% more than people in London, the area where petrol is most affordable.
Wales is the area where petrol is second least affordable. Residents of Wales spend £78.33 on a tank of petrol which – as a proportion of their weekly wage of £583 – means that they spend 9% more on petrol than the average UK resident.
Motorists in Wales also spend 39% more of their weekly earnings on a tank of petrol than residents of London, the area where petrol is most affordable.
The study, conducted by energy experts Boiler Central, used new ONS and RAC data on regional wages and petrol prices to discover which area of the UK is spending the most on fuel.
The UK regions with the least affordable fuel
| Region | Weekly wage | Average price of petrol (p/litre) | Average cost of a tank of petrol (55l) | % of weekly wage spent on a tank of petrol |
| North East | 550 | 141.70 | 77.93 | 14.2 |
| Wales | 583 | 142.43 | 78.33 | 13.4 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 584 | 142.26 | 78.24 | 13.4 |
| Northern Ireland | 602 | 140.69 | 77.37 | 12.9 |
| East Midlands | 611 | 142.67 | 78.46 | 12.8 |
| North West | 615 | 142.66 | 78.46 | 12.8 |
| West Midlands | 618 | 142.65 | 78.45 | 12.7 |
| South West | 629 | 143.18 | 78.74 | 12.5 |
| Scotland | 635 | 142.36 | 78.29 | 12.3 |
| East of England | 741 | 143.38 | 78.85 | 10.6 |
| South East | 755 | 143.57 | 78.96 | 10.5 |
| London | 823 | 143.09 | 78.69 | 9.6 |
Yorkshire and the Humber and Northern Ireland are also among the areas where petrol is most expensive for residents.
Along with residents of Wales, motorists in Yorkshire and the Humber also spend 9% more of their weekly wage on petrol than the national average, while people in Northern Ireland spend 5% more of their wage on petrol than the average UK resident.
London is the area where petrol is most affordable for residents, with motorists in London spending 21% less of their weekly wage on a tank of petrol than the average UK motorist.
A spokesperson for Boiler Central, which conducted the research, said, “As petrol prices soar to their highest point on record in the UK, influenced by the global rise in crude oil prices and previous panic buying in the country, it’s clear from this data that some regions are worse affected than others when it comes to affording fuel.
“While the fluctuations of petrol prices themselves are an important gauge of affordability, when you look at the cost of a tank of petrol against the average wage of each region, it’s clear that some areas are more impacted than others when it comes to the financial burden of paying for fuel, on top of the other costs of maintaining a household.
“As petrol literally runs our lives, allowing us to get to work and earn money, drive children to school and pick up food and other essentials, hopes will be high that prices will stabilise, and become more affordable for families.”
