The increases come amid disruption to Saudi Arabia\u2019s oil infrastructure and continuing instability affecting energy markets and shipping routes. Saudi Arabia has partially restarted its damaged East-West Pipeline following drone strikes, while cancelled crude allocations and repairs to the network continue to affect supplies to European refiners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Petrol Prices UK, the average price of unleaded has reached 173.9p a litre, while diesel is at 199.9p. Super unleaded stands at 189.9p and premium diesel at 215.9p, leaving motorists facing markedly higher costs when filling their vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a 55-litre family car, a full tank of petrol now costs \u00a395.33, compared with \u00a3108.76 for diesel. The RAC has also recorded a rapid increase during September. Its head of policy, Simon Williams<\/a>, said the cost of filling a family car had risen by almost \u00a35 since the start of the month, reaching about \u00a394 for petrol and \u00a3106 for diesel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The rise has coincided with disruption to Saudi Arabia\u2019s East-West Pipeline, also known as Petroline<\/strong>. Parts of the pipeline damaged by drone strikes have been repaired, allowing limited crude flows to resume towards the Red Sea port of Yanbu<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Limited operations on the pipeline are expected to resume within days, but full repairs to damaged sections and pumping stations could take between six and eight weeks. Saudi Aramco had already warned its European term customers of substantial disruption or cancelled crude shipments in September and October, with October allocations to at least two European refiners still cancelled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Oil prices had already moved above $100 a barrel earlier in September for the first time since July, following the latest round of strikes in the Iran war. The continuing instability has added to concerns over the amount motorists may have to pay in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Williams, the pressure on the Chancellor to support households is building because many people depend on their cars. He said there was a \u201cstrong argument\u201d for keeping fuel duty at its present level, at least until the end of Parliament, rather than allowing it to begin rising from January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n