Asda has cut the price of petrol and diesel at its supermarket filling stations by an average of 4p a litre. The cut came in at 5 p.m. on Thursday 12 November at the forecourts attached to its larger stores, which Brit Brief reports is 321 sites across the country. For a typical family car with a 55-litre tank, Asda says that’s a saving of around £2.20 every time you fill up.
The company says it has reduced both unleaded and diesel by an average of 4p per litre at the petrol stations next to its larger supermarkets. The new prices took effect from 5 p.m. on Thursday 12 November, so drivers filling up from Friday should already see the lower prices at these sites.
The word “average” matters here, as prices vary from one forecourt to another, so the exact cut at your local station could be a little more or less than 4p. Reports don’t say whether the smaller Asda Express petrol stations are included, so it’s worth checking the price before you fill up at one of those.
How much you could save
Asda says the cut works out at about £2.20 on a 55-litre fill-up, which is roughly the size of a tank in a typical family car. If you have a smaller car with a 40-litre tank, a 4p cut would save you about £1.60 each time.
Over a year, the savings add up. If you fill a 55-litre tank twice a month, a 4p a litre cut would save you around £52.80 a year, as long as prices stay at the lower level. Someone who fills up once a week could save more than £100 over the same period.
According to RAC figures reported by Brit Brief, Asda’s national average price for petrol before the cut was 165.8p a litre, with prices ranging from 155.9p to 172.9p at different sites. That compared with 166.1p at Morrisons, 167p at Sainsbury’s and 167.7p at Tesco.
Diesel is still much more expensive than petrol. Before the cut, the RAC put Asda’s average diesel price at 194.5p a litre, compared with 195.6p at Sainsbury’s, 195.8p at Tesco and 196p at Morrisons. If the full 4p average comes through, Asda’s petrol would be around 162p a litre and diesel around 190.5p.
Why prices are coming down
Pump prices rose sharply earlier this year after conflict in the Middle East pushed up oil costs. Grocery Gazette reports that falling wholesale fuel costs have been putting pressure on retailers to pass savings on to drivers, and it says the AA has found that average UK petrol prices have already fallen by around 5p a litre since early October.
The cut is one of the first big moves by Asda’s new chief executive, David Potts, who joined from Morrisons earlier this month. He said that when the business gets the basics right, customers notice, and that a 4p cut helps families ahead of Christmas journeys.
Supermarkets often watch each other’s fuel prices closely, so a cut at one chain can sometimes lead to changes elsewhere. It isn’t yet clear whether Tesco, Sainsbury’s, or Morrisons will respond with cuts of their own. That means prices at other chains may stay where they are for now, or change at different times at different sites. If you usually fill up at one of them, it’s worth comparing prices over the next week or two rather than assuming they’ve all dropped.
Check your local price before you go
Because prices differ between forecourts, even within the same chain, the best way to know what you’ll pay is to check before you leave. The government’s Fuel Finder scheme now requires fuel stations to report price changes within 30 minutes, and the information is shared with apps and websites that show live prices.
Using one of these tools, you can see whether your nearest Asda has dropped its prices and compare it with other forecourts nearby. That’s especially useful if you live between two supermarkets, or if your local Asda is a smaller site that may not be part of the cut.
If you’re planning a long journey over Christmas, filling up before you set off at a cheaper local forecourt can save money compared with stopping at a motorway service station, where prices are usually higher. Checking prices on your route can help too. There’s no need to rush out and fill up straight away if your tank is still half full. Prices change regularly, and the cut is already in place, so you can top up as normal when you next need fuel.
What this means for diesel drivers
Diesel drivers pay much more per litre than petrol drivers at the moment, so a 4p cut is welcome but still leaves prices close to £1.90 a litre or more. On a 55-litre tank, diesel at around 190p a litre would cost about £104.50, compared with around £89 for petrol at 162p.
If you drive a diesel car, comparing prices at different forecourts can make an even bigger difference, as the gap between the cheapest and most expensive stations is often wider. Keeping your tyres at the right pressure and removing unnecessary weight from the car can also help your fuel go further.
Asda’s prices for petrol and diesel are down by an average of 4p a litre at its larger supermarket forecourts from 12 November, saving around £2.20 on a typical tank. The exact price will vary between sites, so check your local forecourt using a live price app or website before you fill up.
Compare prices with other supermarkets near you, plan where to fill up before long journeys, and keep an eye on whether other chains respond. Small savings each time you fill up can add up to a useful amount over the winter.
