Rip-off at the pumps...big supermarkets slammed for putting profits before pockets

DRIVERS paid nearly £1billion extra for fuel last year as supermarkets used rip-off forecourt prices to boost profits, a damning report has said

- Graham Hiscott

The Competition and Markets Authority yesterday slammed Britain's four biggest grocers, as well as motorway service prices.

The CMA's year-long probe found supermarket fuel profit margins rose "significantly" since 2019, as competition between retailers weakened.

It estimates that between then and 2022, greedy grocery chains made an extra 6p a litre on fuel. Last year alone, the cost to motorists was around £900million.

This means Ford Focus drivers, whose cars have a 52-litre tank, have been paying £3.12 over the odds every time they fill up.

Asda and Morrisons, which have traditionally led the way on lower fuel, were particularly singled out for criticism.

The CMA found Asda decided last year to boost profits by reducing prices "more slowly than would previously have been the case as wholesale prices fell" in a practice known as feathering.

It resulted in rivals such as Tesco and Sainsbury's taking "largely passive pricing policies", the regulator said.

Separately, the CMA announced it had fined Asda £60,000 for failing to provide it with information when required.

The Government now wants to force sellers to make up-to-date pricing data available to third parties. And it will create a fuel prices website and app to compare forecourts. Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps accused some retailers of using motorists as "cash cows".

He vowed to "shine a light on rip-off retailers to drive down prices and make sure they're held to account by putting into law new powers to increase transparency".