Asda has added approximately £5.50 to the cost of filling a typical 55-litre family car
Motorists filling up at Asda have been cautioned “it’s a scandal” after analysis revealed the supermarket chain has implemented the steepest price increases since the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East. Asda, which operates locations nationwide, raised its petrol prices by an average of 10.1p to 138.91p per litre following the start of the conflict.
Research conducted by The Telegraph discovered this adds more than £5.50 to the cost of filling a standard 55-litre family vehicle. Asda’s increase was nearly 1p per litre higher than the second-largest rise amongst major retailers, reports Birmingham Live.
The supermarket has also increased diesel prices at the quickest rate, by an average of 19.86p per litre to 157.52p. Asda competes with Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Morrisons, alongside Lidl and Aldi.
Hugh Bladon, from the Alliance of British Drivers, commented: “As we all know, petrol companies are very quick to put the price up at the slightest excuse, and extremely slow to bring the price down when the conditions demand that to be the case.
“There is absolutely no reason for anybody to put prices up yet because they’re selling fuel they’ve already paid for and that they’ve had for yonks already. It’s a scandal.”
An Asda spokesperson said: “Asda is offering the cheapest fuel in the UK across its superstore sites and remains focused on keeping prices as low as possible for motorists, despite the steep increase in wholesale costs caused by the unprecedented impact to the fuel market. We fully support tools like Fuel Finder that enhance price transparency, with all 792 of our sites included.”
This comes as Iran warned on Saturday of further escalation in the Middle East conflict by threatening to strike any regional facility with US connections, following Donald Trump’s prediction that “many countries” would dispatch warships to back a US effort to forcibly reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
In an interview with NBC News on Saturday evening, Trump claimed US attacks had “totally demolished” the majority of the island but added “we may hit it a few more times just for fun”. He went on to say he wasn’t prepared to negotiate with Iran because “the terms aren’t good enough yet”.
Trump posted on Saturday via Truth Social that “many countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe.
“For reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island,” Trump wrote on social media. “However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision.”
