Pump prices return to summer peak, with more on way
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Your support makes all the difference.Petrol prices have returned to their summer peak following a six-week respite, the AA said today.
The average price at the pumps is now 103.88p a litre after it fell to 102.28 a litre in the last weekend of July.
The AA said that another 2p to 3p rise is in the pipeline from recent wholesale price increases, and a Government 2.3p fuel duty and VAT increase is due on September 1.
It said that, taken together, this would result in a likely 5p-a-litre increase which would add more than £10 to the monthly petrol costs for a family with two cars.
AA public affairs head Paul Watters added: "We know that, at the beginning of July, drivers from all backgrounds were cutting back on other family expenditure, car use or both to compensate for higher fuel prices. We are back there again, with at least a fortnight of summer holiday motoring to go.
"And, with another 5p going on a litre of petrol, the coming weeks look bad for drivers."
He went on: "It will be completely baffling if the Government pushes ahead with its 2p rise in fuel duty in a fortnight's time.
"Not only will it help to deprive consumer spending by an extra tenner a month per family and undermine business recovery from recession, but falling fuel retail sales figures from the first quarter of this year show that the Treasury lost income despite an increase in duty.
"Why inflict more pain, for no gain? The AA has asked the Treasury to abandon September's rise."
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