Petrol prices falling faster in France

The cost of petrol is falling in the UK, but price cuts are still lagging far behind France, the AA has said.

Holidaymakers driving on the Continent this summer enjoyed savings of up to 6.6% while drivers at home only saw the price of fuel fall 2.7%.

In France the pre-tax cost of petrol fell 5% between July 7 and August 11 this year.

The UK also lagged behind Holland, where prices fell 6.6%, Belgium at 6.3% and 4.7% for Spain, while drivers in Germany and Austria enjoyed falls of around 3.6%, the AA said.

It revealed that the price of fuel at the pumps has fallen near to a three-year low with an average price of 129.72p a litre in mid-August.

This was 1.89p a litre lower than in mid-July and was very close to the three-year low of 129.18p, set in February this year.

The mid-August UK average diesel price was 133.94p a litre - down 2.14p on a month ago and the lowest figure since February 2011.

The AA said supermarket price cuts could drive average petrol prices down further.

But AA public affairs head Paul Watters warned the UK had been left “lagging behind” other European countries.

He said: “Last week, UK holidaymakers driving on the Continent were enjoying the savings of lower European wholesale prices. Those who holidayed at home didn't."

Across the UK, Northern Ireland's average of 130.6p a litre is currently the most expensive for petrol. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK still above 130p a litre.

Yorkshire and Humberside remains the cheapest for petrol this month, averaging 129.4p a litre.

East Anglia, averaging 134.5p a litre for diesel, knocks Scotland at 134.4p off its normal position as the UK's most expensive.

Drivers across northern England are enjoying the cheapest diesel, with the North, North West and Yorkshire and Humberside all level at an average of 133.5p a litre.