25/09/2003

Petrol prices to rise next month

Petrol prices are set to increase by 1.28 pence per litre in line with inflation, the Treasury today confirmed.

Following the Budget announcement that the annual revalorisation of fuel duties would be deferred for six months due to international uncertainties, with the military conflict in Iraq and the volatility of oil prices, fuel duties will now rise on October 1.

Since the Budget, the uncertainty for other regional oil-producing nations had lessened, the Treasury said. The volatility of oil prices at the time of the Budget has now diminished and oil prices have become more stable. The legislation for this change was passed by Parliament in the Finance Act on 10 July 2003.

Since March 1999, the duty rates on the main types of petrol and diesel have not risen in real terms, the government said. Duty rates rose in line with inflation in March 2000, were cut by two pence and three pence per litre in March 2001 and have been frozen since then – representing a cost to the Exchequer of £1.8 billion or a reduction in real terms of 13%, the Treasury claimed.

Yesterday's OPEC meeting in Vienna agreed a small cut in output in response to the fall in prices expected to follow normalisation of Iraqi production. However, OPEC said that it expected prices to remain near the middle of the $22-$28 price band into 2004 and stressed the importance of “maintaining price and market stability in 2004 and thereafter”.

(gmcg)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

12 October 2010
UK Inflation Remains At Current Rate
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), UK Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation remained unchanged at 3.1% in September. Including a higher proportion of housing costs, the Retail Prices Index (RPI), fell back slightly to 4.6%.
06 November 2014
Treasury Secretary To Urge Oil Companies To Reduce Prices
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, said he will appeal to oil companies to pass on savings to consumers. Mr Alexander said that while the price of oil has fallen from $115 per barrel to around $84 per barrel, or around 25%, petrol prices have only come down by around 6%.
30 September 2014
Major Supermarkets Slash Petrol Costs
Three supermarkets in the UK have said they are to cut its petrol prices. Both Sainsbury's and Tesco said they would reduce the cost by up to five pence a litre, while Asda said it would reduce petrol costs by up to one pence, and diesel by two pence. The news has been welcomed by the RAC and AA motoring organisations.
05 April 2005
House prices rise following March dip
House prices increased by 0.5% in March, the Halifax has reported, offsetting the 0.5% fall in February. There has been "virtually no change" in UK house prices since last September.
29 March 2012
UK House Prices Drop By 1% In March
The price of a typical UK house declined by 1% in March, according to Nationwide. The cost of a typical house is £163,327, 0.9% lower than a year ago.