PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Motorway Service Areas: Fuels (12 September 2023)

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made a comparative assessment of the cost difference between fuel sold by petrol stations on motorway service stations and other petrol stations.

Asked by:
Bill Esterson (Labour)

The Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) final report found drivers without access to fuel cards are paying more at motorway service stations than elsewhere. This is due to limited competitive pressure and opportunities for customers to observe prices and shop around. Differences in ‘fixed’ and ‘variable’ costs, such as rent, staff wages and fuel volume sold also cause price variations.

The Government accepted the CMA’s recommendation to create an open data scheme and monitoring function for road fuel prices and will consult this autumn. These recommendations should facilitate greater competition in the UK market and put downward pressure on prices.

Answered by:
Amanda Solloway (Conservative)
18 September 2023