The figures show that – in a league table of European governments that have taken steps to cut petrol taxes – only Luxembourg fared worse, with 11 countries offering more generous relief. The reduction by 5 p.m. per liter that the UK implemented in March is undercut by fuel tax cuts enjoyed by drivers in countries such as Germany (25.1p per litre), Italy (21.2p per litre), Portugal (16.2p per litre), the Netherlands (14.7p per litre) and Ireland (14.5p per litre). The French and Spanish governments have introduced forecourt discounts of around 15p per liter and 17p per liter respectively. Some fuel retailers, including TotalEnergies in France and BP Spain, have price cuts of up to 33p per litre. UK petrol prices have finally started to fall in recent days after pressure on retailers to reflect wholesale cost cuts that began seven weeks ago. At 186p per litre, the cost is much higher than across the EU – with the exception of Denmark (also 186p) and Finland (190p). Drivers in France pay around 23p per liter less than those in the UK. Of the 15 European Union states that have not taken action to cut pump prices since March, all but six already charge less fuel tax than the UK. Read more: Asda cuts petrol and diesel prices to ‘help motorists save money’ Nine tips to reduce the amount of petrol or diesel you use “Inconvenient Truth” The picture is similar for diesel, with only Croatia introducing a smaller fuel tax cut than the UK and only one EU member, Sweden, having a more expensive average price. RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said the analysis amounted to an “inconvenient truth” for the UK government – that compared to other European countries, “it is doing almost the least to support drivers during the current period of record high prices fuel”. He added: “The result is that the UK is one of the most expensive places to fill up and puts it above other countries that have historically charged UK retailers more for fuel, including France and the Netherlands. “The cost of living crisis shows no signs of ending anytime soon and it is disappointing that repeated calls to the UK Government for more support are falling on deaf ears. “UK pump prices may finally be starting to fall, but the reductions so far are too little and too late, given the huge drop in wholesale prices that retailers have been benefiting from for nearly two months.” Image: A Russian oil refinery outside the city of Novoshakhtinsk, in the Rostov region, near the Ukrainian border, is hit during the conflict Effects of war Fuel prices were already rising before Russia invaded Ukraine in February, but the impact of the war has worsened the situation. Reduced use of Russian oil increased demand from other producers, resulting in higher prices. Protests took place in the UK, with convoys of vehicles driving slowly on motorways.
