Diesel price reaches record high

The price of diesel, as well as petrol, has been on the rise for several months

The price of diesel at the pump has reached a new high, figures suggest.

Experian Catalist, which compiles the data, said the average price of a litre of diesel in the UK was 133.26 pence a litre.

The previous highest figure was in July 2008, the company said.

Soaring fuel prices were among the key reasons behind inflation's sharp rise in December, when the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) went up by 3.7%, against 3.3% in November.

Experian Catalist said the average price of unleaded petrol was 128.62p. This is also a fresh high - having set new records almost every day over the past couple of weeks.

'Misery'

The new diesel price meant that drivers were paying 19.21p a litre more than a year ago, adding £9.61 to the cost of a typical 50-litre refill, according to the AA.

"Hitting a new record for diesel is yet another milestone along a road of misery for drivers," said the AA's president Edmund King.

But he added that the 4.6p difference between the cost of petrol and diesel was "considerably better" than the 13.6p differential in July 2008, saying it was "better news" for car owners who had switched from petrol to diesel.

On New Year's Day, a government fuel duty increase put another 0.76p on to both petrol and diesel. And on 4 January, the rise in VAT from 17.5% to 20% meant another price rise.

On Thursday, Chancellor George Osborne said he was considering cancelling a further fuel duty increase, due to take effect in April.

There is growing pressure to have a rethink on an extra 1p-a-litre rise at a time when petrol prices have soared - in part because of the rapid acceleration of the oil price - with Brent crude close to $100 a barrel.