Map shows most expensive countries for diesel in Europe

Drivers in the UK are being charged the highest diesel prices in comparison to other countries in Europe.

The average price for a litre of diesel in UK petrol stations is 155p, research from the RAC found.

It said there is ‘no good reason’ why the price should not be lower but fuel retailers argue they are facing various cost increases, such as business rates, energy bills and wages.

Other countries with high diesel prices include Belgium in at number two at 150p and Ireland also at 150p.

The UK also has the joint highest rate of fuel duty on diesel despite the 5p litre cut in fuel duty in spring 2022.

Diesel cars make up around a third of all cars licenced in the UK – 11.4million according to government figures.

Some of the biggest commercial vehicles like lorries and vans also rely on diesel.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams described having Europe’s most expensive diesel as ‘a very dubious honour’ for the UK.

He said: ‘The average retailer margin on diesel – that’s the difference between the delivered wholesale price and the retail price before VAT – is 18p.

‘That’s a shocking 10p more than the long-term average.

‘The average price of a litre of diesel should really be down to around the 145p level if retailers were charging fairer prices.

‘The margin on petrol is also, in our view, unreasonably high at 13p.

‘We can see no good reason why retailers in Britain aren’t cutting their prices at the pumps.

‘It’s important to note that in Northern Ireland, where there is greater competition for fuel in the absence of supermarket dominance, the average price of diesel is just 144.9p – 10p less than the UK average, and petrol is 6p cheaper at 142.4p.

‘There is cause for hope for fairer fuel prices in the future as the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act became law on Friday, giving new powers to the Competition and Markets Authority to closely monitor road fuel prices and report any sign of malpractice to the Government.’

Meanwhile petrol in the UK is the 11th most expensive in Europe coming in at an average of 149p per litre.

The most expensive place for petrol in Europe is where petrol is 175p per litre.

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