Members of Parliament have praised a Free Press campaign which exposed a postcode lottery for fuel prices and helped to level out prices in the Rossendale region.
Last June MEN Media reported on a pricing policy by supermarkets, including Tesco, which meant that filling up in Rossendale could cost up to £3 more each time than in neighbouring Bolton and Bury. A campaign to make Tesco end the unfair and discriminatory pricing has resulted in prices in Rossendale being lowered.
Similar local variations have been reported by local media around the country, and have been criticised for discriminating those in rural areas, or for offering seemingly arbitrary prices which results in some consumers paying more than others in their region.
The variations also impact heavily on businesses which run fleets, particularly grey fleets or company cars which often use more local and supermarket filling stations. It makes it difficult for them to predict what costs will be and budget accordingly.
Rossendale MP Jake Berry praised the work to lower fuel prices, saying “The success of the campaign has eased the pain for drivers, coming against a background of generally increasing fuel prices.”
Companies with drivers who travel regularly across the UK can make efforts to eliminate regional price variations by using fuel cards for the UK, and by planning journeys to use the most cost effective routes and cheapest filling stations.