Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s drivers ‘quit’ buying diesel and take action

Motorists are ditching diesel because it is the ‘most expensive fuel’ – with consumption now down by a billion litres. The latest HMRC figures found that UK diesel consumption fell by 968 million liters in 2023/24.

Experts at Swansway Motor Group said: “It is worrying to see the retailer’s margins on fuel; Margins on unleaded petrol hit 9.5p per liter and diesel even more dramatically at 18p per litre, a significant increase of 6p in April alone.

“These figures are well above the long-term average margin of 8p per litre. Such disparities lead to increased operating costs for consumers and businesses.” Unleaded rose 3p last month to 149.95p, while diesel rose 2p to 157.76p, taking a 55 liter tank of petrol to £82.47 (up £1.70 on April) and diesel at £86.77 (up £1.10 in April).

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Prices are rising at Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Asda, with an average of 154p and the highest of 184p at Asda. The experts continued: “Variability in fuel prices is another pressing issue. The analysis shows that the differences between the cheapest and most expensive fuel range from 8p to 36p per liter in supermarket fuel prices at the end of April.

“This not only complicates the budget for consumers, but also highlights the need for more regulated pricing policies to help with such extreme differences.” The AA attributes this to the high cost of diesel coinciding with effective anti-diesel campaigns in towns and cities, leading to drivers switching from diesel to petrol, hybrid and electric cars.

Luke Bosdet, the AA’s road fuel spokesman, said: “This week’s UK fuel consumption figures seem to reinforce the view that the days of diesel cars are numbered. The big question is how many of their former owners have switched to electric or hybrid vehicles?

“However, it would be wrong to write off the diesel car just yet. If the pump price difference between gasoline and diesel narrows significantly and over a long period of time, there are types of driving and trips where the superior fuel efficiency of the DERV excels.

“While cities and urban areas may try to run diesels outside the city, on open roads and in rural areas, a diesel vehicle may be king.”