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As the retail price of gas and diesel increases throughout the chilly winter months, drivers have been cautioned to expect increased motoring expenditures.
Although fuel prices are still far lower than they were in early 2022, according to the AA, petrol prices have gone up 3p per litre since Christmas, and diesel prices have gone up 5p.
The AA's gasoline spokesperson, Luke Bosdet, emphasised that the cold weather in the first few weeks of the year is just making the price hikes worse.
He explained: "Freezing temperatures and rising pump prices are a bad start to 2025 for drivers.
"Their vehicles are consuming more fuel due to engines having to work harder in winter conditions and any weakness in the pound won’t help because oil and fuel commodities are traded in dollars."
According to the AA, the average cost of petrol currently stands at 137.2p per litre, whereas a litre of diesel is typically priced at 143.7p.
As a result, owners filling up their tank will need to pay around £1.50 more for a petrol car or £2.50 for a diesel model. Whilst this figure may sound insignificant at first, drivers who fill up their car each week would need to pay up to £130 more to run their car.
However, the impact could be even worse during the winter, with cold weather typically causing petrol and diesel engines to consume more as they warm up.
One of the most significant reasons why the cost of petrol and diesel is currently on the rise is due to the overall price of crude oil increasing to a six-month high.
The price hike followed news that the pound hit a 14-month low against the dollar, the universal currency for oil, after Government borrowing increased.
However, the AA accused retailers of increasing their profit margins over recent months, highlighting that the cost of petrol rose by an average of 2p during December 2024 despite wholesale prices remaining low.
Drivers looking to reduce their petrol and diesel bills throughout January have been advised to minimise the number of cold starts they put their engine through.
By planning journeys in advance, such as by combining different errands, drivers can not only save time but prevent their engine using more fuel as it warms up to its standard working temperature.
Regularly making sure that the tyres have enough pressure can also help to improve fuel economy, with drivers lowering the amount of unnecessary friction they have with the road.
