Asda cuts petrol and diesel prices
20:12, 26 February 2020
updated: 23:13, 26 February 2020
Asda has cut the cost of petrol and diesel by two pence per litre - making prices the "lowest in nearly two years".
Drivers filling up at any of supermarket giant's 322 petrol stations nationwide - including six in Kent - will benefit from the reduction.
They will pay no more than 116.7p a litre for unleaded and 118.7p for diesel at the county's stations in Canterbury, Sittingbourne, Rainham, Gravesend, Greenhithe and Erith.
It is said to be the first time diesel prices have dropped below the 1.20p mark for nearly two years.
Asda senior fuel buyer, Dave Tyrer said: "Once again we're pleased to be passing on wholesale cost reductions to customers.
"It will be a welcomed boost, especially to diesel drivers who are seeing some of the lowest fuel prices since 2018.
"Anybody filling up at Asda will pay no more than 116.7ppl on unleaded and 118.7ppl on diesel regardless of where they live.
"Mid-February saw the chunk of the petrol pump price that is directly attributable to the fuel trade grow to its biggest in more than a year."
Luke Bosdet, the AA's fuel price spokesman, said recent data - when stripping out tax and wholesale costs - left an 11p surplus for retailers and suppliers - around 2p up on the same time last year.
"This has come as too many forecourts held on to savings from lower wholesale costs feeding through to their pumps," he said.
"Even when Asda announced its second price cut of the year, a 3p-a-litre reduction on Wednesday, January 29, it took until the following Monday for the UK average to drop just a penny as other retailers squeezed another weekend's worth of high prices out of consumers."
Asda's Income Tracker report for January showed the average rise in fuel prices of petrol and diesel rose by 2.3p and 2.6p per litre, respectively, however, Asda lowered fuel prices by 3 pence per litre on both grades that month.
The price cut comes as the government is said to be considering ending the freeze on fuel duty rates, which has been in place since 2010, with some speculating an announcement could be made when the Budget is revealed on March 11.
Motorway service stations in Kent were earlier accused of "ripping off" drivers by charging over the odds for fuel.
KentOnline also found the cost of filling can vary by up to 13.2p a litre across the county - enough to save you as much as £9 per tank.
