Drivers are being warned that petrol prices are set to increase over the next 10 days. (Image: Getty)
PetrolPrices said a litre of costs 137p, an increase of almost one penny compared to a month ago.
According to government statistics, the average price of a litre of petrol was £144.27, compared to £142.71 the same week in December.
Experts warn that petrol and prices will rise even higher because Brent crude oil prices have risen.
PetrolPrices said a delay between wholesale increases and pump prices meant prices could increase further over the coming days.
PetrolPrices warned: “While some stations may temporarily absorb these cost increases, it’s likely that pump prices, especially for diesel, will rise over the next 7–10 days.”
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In November and December, Brent crude oil, the key component of unleaded petrol and diesel, was priced between $71 and $75 per barrel.
This month, it has risen, hitting $81 per barrel on January 13th.
The US dollar has strengthened against the British pound, dropping from $1.25 to $1.22, increasing fuel costs and wholesale fuel prices.
Last week, Reuters reported that oil demand would continue to rise, although economic weakness in China, the world’s biggest oil importer, may slow prices down next year.
The 2026 forecast is in line with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (Opec) view that oil use will rise for the next two decades. This is in contrast to the West’s International Energy Agency, which predicts it will peak this decade as the world shifts to cleaner energy.
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Cheapest supermarkets for petrol
PetrolPrices said Tesco has held diesel prices steady and, after starting the year as the most expensive, is now the cheapest among the major supermarkets.
Asda, meanwhile, has increased pump prices by an average of 0.6ppl, making it the second most expensive for diesel.
Morrisons was best for unleaded pricing, although the price gap across supermarkets has narrowed significantly.
At the start of the year, Morrisons was 0.5ppl cheaper than Tesco on average, but this has now dropped to less than 0.2ppl, with Asda and Sainsbury’s pricing between the two.