RAC reaction - as oil breaches $100-mark for first time in two months

Image: Getty - All Rights Reserved
Image: Getty - All Rights Reserved

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "With oil breaching the $100-mark for the first time in two months, prices at the pumps have surged again since yesterday, taking the cost of filling up back to a level last seen in mid-June – something we all hoped we’d seen the back of.

"The average price of unleaded jumped by more than half a penny and is now up nearly 6p (5.6p) a litre since 6 July to 156.19p. Diesel, which went up by another penny, has undergone an even sharper rise at almost 9p (8.6p) in just over two weeks to the point where it's averaging 173.15p. Since the Iran war lows, this translates to percentage increases of 4% and 5% respectively. Although not as great as the start of the conflict, it's nonetheless worrying as both fuels are so much more expensive than they were then. A tank of fuel for a family-sized petrol car now costs £86 while the diesel equivalent is £95.

"Unless the hostilities end soon, it's hard not to see the price of petrol reaching a new Iran war high."
​

 

Petrol

Unleaded daily change

Unleaded change - since 28/2

Unleaded % change since 28/2

28/02/2026

132.83

+0.2

0

0.0%

28/05/2026

159.53

+0.03

+26.7

20.1%

06/07/2026

150.59

-0.04

+17.8

13.4%

24/07/2026

156.19

+0.62

+23.4

17.6%

 

Diesel

Diesel daily change

Diesel change - since 28/2

Diesel % change since 28/2

28/02/2026

142.38

+0.2

0

0.0%

15/04/2026

191.54

0.0

+49.2

34.5%

09/07/2026

164.52

-0.08

+22.1

15.5%

24/07/2026

173.15

+1.01

+30.8

21.6%

 

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Diesel tops £2 a litre for first time ever
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