Motorists are being denied an extra 10p cut on petrol prices as retailers increased their profit margins, according to the RAC.
The motoring body said a further fall in oil prices in September had reduced the average suburban price by nearly 7p to 162.9p.
It was the sixth biggest monthly fall since 2000, but the RAC says it should have been bigger.
“Drivers really should have seen a much bigger drop as the wholesale price of petrol delivered was around 120p for the whole month,” said RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams.
“That means suburbs across the country should have been showing prices around 152p, given the long-term margin on unleaded is 7p a litre.
“In stark contrast to this, RAC Fuel Watch figures show margins around 17p per liter – a whopping 10p more than normal.”
Supermarkets typically charge around 3.5p per liter less than the UK average, but are now only around 1.5p cheaper, the RAC added.
He advised motorists to shop around for the best fuel deals, rather than assuming supermarkets are always the cheapest.
The average diesel price in September fell 3.5p to 180.2p.
Current prices are still significantly lower than the summer, when a record monthly rise pushed average petrol prices above 190p a liter and diesel pushed 200p.
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