Rugby drivers face £20 fuel bill increase as petrol prices spark ‘postcode lottery’ fury

Rugby drivers face £20 fuel bill increase as petrol prices spark ‘postcode lottery’ fury Drivers in Rugby, a market town in Warwickshire, face a "petrol postcode lottery", with prices varying by 30p a litre and some motorists paying nearly £20 more to fill up Drivers in a UK town could face forking out £20 extra to fill up in what was branded a "petrol pump postcode lottery." Motorists in the market town of Rugby, Warwickshire, have been left fuming after facing unleaded petrol prices ranging from 169.9p to 199.9p per litre at forecourts just a few miles apart, research from British Fuel Prices found. The 30p-per-litre difference means motorists filling a large family car could pay nearly £20 extra for a tank depending on which of the petrol stations they use. The rise in the cost of oil due to the Straits of Hormuz being blocked off caused petrol prices to skyrocket since the war in Iran started in February. But drivers filling up at forecourts this week expressed their frustration at the dramatic disparity across the town and branded the costs a "rip-off." Andrew Collinge, 66, from Rugby, said: "Fuel prices are far too high generally. A large proportion of what we pay at the pump goes on tax, yet people don't feel they're seeing the benefits of that. "The solution, in my view, is to reduce fuel duty. Places like Costco can often charge 15p to 20p less per litre than local filling stations. I can even get premium diesel there for around 50p a litre less than elsewhere. "I can't stop driving because of where I live and because I need to visit family, but I do try to limit unnecessary journeys. I normally use Tesco because of the loyalty points, although when I do a big monthly shop I'll fill up at Costco because it's significantly cheaper. "That's what makes it hard to understand why some of the major supermarkets can't match those prices. I don't think it's fair we have the biggest fuel gap here- but that's Rugby for you." Another driver, who would only give her name as Tracy, from Rugby, said: "A lot of it is down to the war in the Gulf and the wider global situation and I guess that's just the way it is. I've certainly noticed a difference when filling up my car over the last few months. "I'm much more careful about the journeys I make now. If I can, I'll walk instead of driving. I usually use the same petrol station and tend to go wherever is cheapest, which is often Asda. "Living locally, you get to know which stations offer the best prices." Virginia Bond, 66, from Rugby, said: "In my opinion, it's all about business. Some countries had the same fuel prices before the wars started, but now prices have increased everywhere. People talk about Ukraine, Iran and other conflicts, but I think it's mainly driven by business. "I've had to change the way I travel. If possible, I walk or use public transport instead of driving. I usually fill up at Shell because I think the fuel lasts longer, but when prices rise too much I'll use supermarkets such as Asda because they're cheaper. "We should all be paying the same price for fuel instead of seeing such big differences between filling stations." Another Rugby resident, who did not want to be named, said: "It's a rip off and I feel it's unfair we're victims of what is just a petrol postcode lottery. I don't know exactly why there are such big differences in prices between filling stations. "People talk about wars affecting costs, but fuel prices were varying even before that. The prices are far too high. Since the war began, there's been a significant increase. The only thing I can really do is use an app to find the cheapest fuel locally. "I already use buses whenever I can, and I generally fill up at Sainsbury's because of the rewards scheme." The figures from the website Cheapest Petrol and Diesel Prices Near You showed Northern Ireland as being the cheapest region at 167.8p while the South East is the most expensive at 175.8p. They also revealed the average price of diesel at UK forecourts has risen by 9.8p a litre since September 10 to 199.3p. Petrol has risen by 6.2p over the same period, to 174.2p with motorway services charging 19.5p a litre more for petrol than other forecourts. Supermarkets are 3.6p a litre cheaper than other forecourts. Tesco is cheapest at 171.0p and BP are dearest at 177.0p, while Costco's 22 fuel stations average 165.8p. Sam Allcock, editor of British Fuel Prices, said: "Prices have gone up for two weeks running, but the biggest saving is still in where you fill up. In 70 towns the cheapest and dearest forecourts are 20p a litre or more apart, and a lot of drivers never find that out. "Every figure we publish comes straight from the government's own data, and anyone can download it and check our sums."