May 28, 2026

UK Drivers Are Starting to Panic… Petrol and Diesel Prices Are Rising Again

How do wholesale oil prices affect the cost of petrol and diesel at the pump?

Crude oil is a key ingredient in petrol and diesel, which means that higher wholesale costs make filling up a car more expensive.

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Analysts say every $10 (£7.53) increase in the oil price pushes up pump prices by roughly 7p a litre.

Since the war began, the price of a barrel of Brent crude – the global benchmark for wholesale oil prices – has been very volatile, jumping from $73 to $126 a barrel at one point, the highest since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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That put the cost of filling a typical family car with petrol up by around £14. A tank of diesel became £27 more expensive.

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