Brits lead Euro pump payout

British motorists spend a huge £6.2million an hour at the pumps! That’s more than any of our closest European neighbours, according to the latest figures. In fact, drivers in Britain have consistently paid more to fill up than those in France, Spain, Italy and Germany since 2000, the study by online comparison site uSwitch.com reveals.

In the UK, motorists clock up an average annual bill of £1,753 – around £350 more than drivers in Spain, who spend around £1,410. Differences in tax are largely to blame.

The UK pays the highest levy on diesel, with 57 pence in every pound going straight to Government coffers. Forecourts are also being taken to task for their slow reactions to recent drops in global oil prices. The price per barrel has fallen from record highs close to $150 (£78) last month to around $120 (£62).

Petrol Retailers Association director Ray Holloway says that’s because filling station owners bought the fuel at a higher price: “They can’t afford to make a loss. They’ll drop prices once the more expensive stocks have been used.”

But AA president Edmund King argues this logic is never applied when prices rise. “They react very quickly when fuel is going up and they’ve still got cheap reserves in stock. They can’t have it both ways,” he said.