PETROL prices have hit an all-time high with drivers warned that they could face a winter of rising fuel costs.
Prices at the pumps rose to 142.94p per litre of petrol – meaning families will fork out £15 more to fill up their car compared to last year.
"This is truly a dark day for drivers and one which we hoped we wouldn't see again after the high prices of April 2012," Simon Williams of the RAC told The Times.
"This will hurt many household budgets and no doubt have knock-on implications for the wider economy."
In 2012 prices skyrocketed to 142.48p for a litre of petrol and 147.93p for a litre of diesel.
“The big question now is: ‘Where will it stop and what price will petrol hit?'" Mr Williams said.
"If oil gets to $100 a barrel we could very easily see the average price climb to
150p a litre.
“Even though many people aren’t driving as much as they have in the past due to the pandemic, drivers tell us they are just as reliant on their cars, and many simply don’t have a choice but to drive."
A recent fuel crisis saw drivers queuing for up to a mile to fill their petrol tank, and hundreds of forecourts around the country close as their pumps ran dry.
Many petrol stations introduced rations to stop over-fuelling and panic buying.
The industry said at the time there was no shortage of fuel, but a lack of lorry drivers meant it wasn't getting delivered.
While forecourts are now getting back to business as usual, motorists are having to grapple with rising costs.
On Monday, the Sun exclusively revealed that the Chancellor won't increase fuel duty in the budget this week.
The hated levy was due to go up from 57.95p per litre to 60.79p — potentially costing drivers £66 extra a year per car.
But MPs say they have been privately assured by the Treasury that the scheduled 4.9 per cent rise for 2022 will not go ahead.
In a major victory for The Sun’s “Keep It Down” Campaign, the duty will be frozen for the second time this year.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak was forced to abandon the planned hike in tomorrow’s Budget after petrol prices hit a record high.
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