Drivers welcome drop in fuel prices in Gloucestershire DRIVERS in Gloucestershire have welcomed a drop in petrol prices at major supermarkets.
Petrol prices at Asda supermarket fell to 128.7p per litre for unleaded and 135.7 for diesel, sparking a price war with other stores.
It is part of a national price cap by the supermarket, and it is the third round of price cuts by Asda in as many weeks.
Sainsbury's followed by cutting fuel prices by up to six pence a litre, which meant customers paid no more than 129.9 and 136.9.
At the Conservative Party conference in Manchester yesterday, Chancellor George Osborne pledged to freeze fuel duty until May 2015.
The pledge is conditional on finding savings to pay for the cost of the freeze.
Di Mitten, secretary of the Cheltenham's branch of the Hackney Carriage Association, said she welcomed the news.
"I think it's good news for motorists in Gloucestershire," she added.
"Everything has been going up and, knowing the Government, it could go up again.
"We still have to use petrol whatever the price, but it's good it has gone down a little bit."
Driving instructor Peter Baker, who is based in Moreton-in-Marsh, said last weekend's cuts have not been seen at petrol stations around the countryside.
Having students in Cheltenham, he makes use of any opportunity to top up when he is in town.
He said: "The cuts are very good news for all drivers, but here in the Cotswolds, some places have not changed their prices.
"They haven't come down, but I don't know why. Some of them are still quite high.
"I try to top up when I am in Cheltenham teaching a student. It's cheaper in town, but it's not always possible to go to town just to top up."
Jake Ochiltree, 42, has been a driving instructor for more than seven years.
The Gloucester-based instructor was more sceptical about the drop in prices.
He said: "Unfortunately, petrol prices are always going up.
"To be honest, I try not to follow the prices too closely, because I have to use the fuel any way. We can't do much about it.
"They increase the prices of the petrol quite a lot and then take it down a bit and say they have lowered prices.
"When I first started teaching, petrol was so much cheaper. It wasn't that expensive. Now, I think it is just ridiculous how much they charge for it."
Andy Peake, Asda's petrol trading director, said: "Families across Britain are crying out for help when it comes to managing their budgets and we know every fuel reduction makes a real difference.
"Our prices are the lowest they have been all year and our national price cap on fuel benefits everyone across the country, meaning that no-one filling up at Asda is forced to pay a premium for their fuel because of where they live."
Richard Crampton, Sainsbury's head of fuel, said: "We want our customers to benefit from the recent drop in the wholesale price of fuel.
"Fuel is a big part of the weekly budget for many households so we hope this cut will be welcomed by drivers across Britain."
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