Fuel prices more expensive in Blackburn than nearby towns

The price of petrol in Blackburn remains higher than the surrounding towns and despite months of pressure from consumers the situation appears to have changed little.

The UK’s competition watchdog warned earlier this month that drivers in the UK paid an extra £900 million in fuel last year than they should have, as they were charged 6p more per litre.

Executives from Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, as well as those from fuel specialists BP, Shell and Esso, were called in to meet the government over concerns they were overcharging customers.

But there were ongoing concerns supermarkets were still ‘fixing’ prices in local areas.

The stark difference in petrol prices was highlighted this week as Tesco displayed two different prices in neighbouring towns.

The price of unleaded petrol in Burnley was 4p cheaper at the Tesco forecourt in the town than in Blackburn.

At the Tesco station in Casterton Avenue the price was 139.9p whilst the Hill Street Tesco in Blackburn displayed the price as 143.9p.

Just days earlier the price in Burnley was actually two pence cheaper at 137.9p.

The price was also cheaper at other forecourts in Preston and Rossendale compared to Blackburn.

This price difference at the supermarkets have been noticeable for much of the year.

Asda co-owner Mohsin Issa grilled by MPs over fuel prices

Here was the price of unleaded petrol at Morrisons forecourt on  Blackpool Road in Preston this week. More than 7p cheaper per litre.

The Asda in Preston price on Friday July 21 2023 which is also far cheaper than the one in Blackburn.

In June, Tesco and Asda, refused to give genuine reasons why the price was higher.

Asda said it was the price leader in the supermarket fuel sector and ‘remains focussed on providing our customers with the best value at the pumps’.

This week, a Tesco spokesperson said: "We regularly monitor fuel prices throughout a local area to ensure we’re providing competitive prices for our customers, and our fuel prices in Burnley and Blackburn are very competitive with other petrol stations nearby."

The EG Group said it would not make a comment, when asked in June.

Blackburn with Darwen Councillor Shaukat Hussain has spoken out over the price difference.

He said this was 'a blatant attempt to take advantage of customers' from one area.

He said: “It is the big Blackburn rip-off, it's nothing else.

“It is the same fuel being sold by the same supermarket only miles away from each other.

"We must continue to highlight this blatant price differences so the supermarkets realise they cannot do this to hard working people in the town.

“The supermarkets are happy talking about low prices but this clearly proves they are taking advantage of people.”

This week it was also revealed Asda’s pence per litre fuel margin targets were three times their 2019 level by 2023, and the retailer deliberately passed on reductions to retail prices more slowly in areas where they had no competition.

Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) director of markets Dan Turnbull told the Business and Trade Committee that Asda repeatedly told it over the course of its market study that it had not changed its fuel pricing strategy because it had consistently maintained the strategy of being the lowest cost provider in any particular area. Asda was fined £60,000 by the CMA for failing to provide relevant information in a timely manner.

ALSO SEE: Petrol prices higher in Blackburn ‘because of greed’

ALSO SEE: Blackburn motorists paying about 10p more for petrol