AA president Edmund King has fumed British drivers have been held “hostage” by petrol stations as major new rules come into effect from Monday. Mr King stressed that drivers had been at the “whims of fuel retailers”, with motorists unable to check if petrol or diesel was cheaper elsewhere.
From Monday, February 2, petrol stations are legally obliged to report up-to-date fuel costs to a nationwide database within 30 minutes of an update. The new Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) fuel finder will make it easy for road users to find the best prices, with the Government already suggesting the move could save £40 per year.
The AA claims that the new system could lead to a major “shake-up” of pump prices, with overpriced stations likely to realise customers are shopping elsewhere.
Mr King said: "For too long, UK drivers have been hostage to the whims of fuel retailers and not being able to see that a far-lower pump price could be found just down the road.
"Fuel station owners who priced below the artificially high levels of nearby rivals but had little way of getting that message out to potential customers now have the means to do so.
"Like in Austria, France and other parts of Europe, the AA believes a shake-up of UK pump prices will happen. Drivers will view them on mobile phones and smart devices ... and will eventually choose where to buy cheaper fuel at the most convenient place by looking at the information screens in their cars."
Petrol stations have already been able to share current prices but this has only been on a voluntary basis. There is no specific Government app with a list of the cheapest petrol stations, with all the data used by third-party sources.
These can be accessed on a range of fuel comparison sites, with PetrolPrices and the AA app among some of the most popular services.
The RAC also backed the new scheme, with head of policy Simon Williams admitting drivers will now be able “to easily find the cheapest forecourt” in their area.
He said: “We hope this is the start of the journey to cheaper fuel prices around the UK. The Government has set up this scheme with the intention of increasing competition among retailers to give drivers better value at the pumps.”