UK petrol prices rise 5p in a week as Iran war pushes oil higher

The average UK petrol price has risen by 5p a litre in a week to 167.17p, the RAC motoring organisation said. It was the biggest weekly increase since April.

Diesel also increased by 5p to 188.63p a litre. Filling a family-sized car now costs about £2.75 more than it did a week ago.

Brent crude returns above $100

Fuel prices have risen since the US-Israel war with Iran began at the end of February, disrupting crude oil supplies across the Middle East. Brent crude, the global benchmark, returned to $100 a barrel for the first time since July.

On Tuesday, US forces struck five Iranian tankers after Tehran targeted one of its warships. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement also attacked oil facilities in Saudi Arabia.

Brent remains below the $120 reached in April but is well above the roughly $70 recorded before the conflict began. The RAC said oil had averaged $96 a barrel over the past week.

RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said the increase showed how exposed UK drivers are to events thousands of miles away. He advised motorists to drive efficiently and look for the cheapest forecourts.

Petrol was last at this level in September 2022. Diesel remains slightly below its April peak of 191.54p a litre.