Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons customers issued petrol price warning

Customers who buy petrol at some of the UK's largest supermarkets have been issued a warning over high fuel prices.

According to a new analysis by the RAC, independent fuel retailers have begun leading the way to charge a "fair price" for petrol and diesel. A spokesperson for the company said people buying fuel at the big four UK supermarkets - Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury's - could be getting their fuel cheaper elsewhere and "have every right" to feel as though they are being overcharged.

The RAC's investigation found that only 4 per cent of forecourts are currently charging below 180p per litre for petrol. Only one out of five of those sites are owned by either a supermarket or oil company while the rest are independently-owned. Meanwhile, more than three-quarters of the 5 per cent of filling stations selling diesel for less than 190p per litre are independently-owned.

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While supermarkets have traditionally been the first to cut fuel prices, the RAC said the average price that retailers pay to buy petrol has fallen by 17p per litre from the start of June. This is despite the fact that pump prices have only dropped by "a paltry 4p".

Due to these figures, the RAC believes that drivers should only be charged around 174p per litre for petrol and 189p per litre for diesel. However, the latest Experian figures show the average price of a litre of petrol on Wednesday was 187.5p, while diesel was 196.1p.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “In this most expensive of summers, drivers need all the help they can get to keep their spending down. We applaud those retailers who are doing the right thing for their customers and charging a fair price