The most expensive supermarket fuel has been revealed (Picture: Getty Images)
Asda is the most expensive supermarket in the UK to buy petrol from, according to new analysis.
The RAC said that for many years Asda ‘prided itself on selling the cheapest fuel’, often being the first supermarket to cut pump prices.
But after the supermarket chain was taken over by the billionaire Issa brothers and private equity firm TDR Capital in 2021, prices started to creep up.
A study by the RAC found that by the end of May, a liter of petrol at Asda now costs an average of 2.1p more than at rival supermarkets Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.
Petrol at Asda costs 2.1p more than at rival supermarkets (Picture: Getty Images)
The difference in average diesel prices was even steeper, at 2.5p per litre.
When Asda bought the UK and Irish operations of petrol station giant EG Group – owned by the Issa brothers – in May last year, Mohsin Issa said the deal would enable him to offer ‘Asda’s highly competitive fuel’ to more customers.
But in January, TDR Capital managing director Gary Lindsay told the Commons’ Business and Trade Committee that Asda did not have ‘a particular strategy to bump the price of fuel or to make a larger profit on fuel’.
The RAC analysis found that across all UK forecourts, the average price of petrol fell by 2.4p per litre last month to 147.9.
Diesel prices also dipped by 4.5p per litre to 153.6p.
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said pump prices should be falling much faster to reflect a decline in wholesale costs.
He said: ‘A month of decreasing fuel prices should be seen as a good one for drivers but the sheer time it is taking for any meaningful price reductions to reach forecourts is if anything a continuing cause of concern.
‘When it comes to much-needed pump price cuts, it’s sadly a case of too little too leisurely, with most drivers still getting a miserable deal every time they fill up.
‘We’re once again in classic “rocket and feather” territory, with pump prices only trickling down when they should really be falling like a stone.
‘It’s also interesting to see that Asda no longer holds the crown for selling the cheapest fuel despite the pledge made when it was subject to a merger a year ago.
‘The other three major supermarkets, as well as some enterprising independents, now offer lower prices.’
Asda said it uses a different pricing strategy at its supermarket and ‘convenience’ forecourts.
A spokesperson said: ‘Asda was the price leader in the supermarket fuel sector in May and we remain focused on providing our customers with the best value at the pumps as we grow in the convenience sector.
‘In May, we reduced the price of unleaded and diesel by a combined average of 2.31p per litre and also announced that we are trialling earn on fuel on the Asda Rewards app, where users can get 0.5% of their fuel spend back in their Asda Rewards Cashpot.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.