Drivers urged to shop around amid 11p fuel gap

Drivers urged to shop around amid 11p fuel gapImage caption, Taxi driver Wayne Parsons says fuel prices are hitting hardByAmanda Whitein HullPublishedJust nowDrivers are missing out on savings because many are not using fuel price comparison tools, according to the RAC.A BBC snapshot of petrol prices in Hull on Tuesday found a difference of more than 11p a litre between forecourts less than three miles apart. Filling a 50-litre tank cost £78.45 at one garage and £72.80 at another – a saving of £5.65.Simon Williams, the RAC's head of policy, said drivers should make greater use of the government's Fuel Finder service and other comparison apps "to save money".But taxi driver Wayne Parsons, who travels 200 miles a day, said even the cheaper prices remained too high and "it cripples you".Parsons was filling up at a Gulf station at Northpoint Shopping Centre, Bransholme, which he said was one of the cheapest in the area.The unleaded fuel there was priced at 146.7p per litre on Tuesday, more than 5p cheaper than at another station a mile away. "It's still too high, still far too high, especially when you need it for your living," he said. Image caption, Christine Colville has had to give up her shopping tripsFellow motorist Paul Brown said he used online trackers to choose where to fill up."We do come here because it is the cheapest in the area," he added.Christine Colville said the cost of fuel was having an impact on her social life because she had to save her petrol for getting to work.It meant no more trips to Sheffield's Meadowhall shopping centre.According to analysis by the Press Association, average petrol prices in the UK remain about 19p per litre more expensive than before the conflict in the Middle East, despite oil prices returning to pre-war levels.On Tuesday, some UK petrol stations were accused of failing to report live price changes to Fuel Finder, which is aimed at saving drivers money.Chancello...