Easington MP Grahame Morris has welcomed recent changes at the fuel pump following a successful campaign on fuel prices. He is also urging the government to swiftly implement their promised fuel finder scheme.

When Asda became the first supermarket to publish real-time fuel price data, Mr. Morris criticised the ‘outrageous price disparities’ between neighbouring Asda forecourts. On 4th August, Mr. Morris published price comparisons between stores, revealing that motorists in Peterlee were paying 6p per litre (ppl) more than those in Hartlepool and Sunderland, and an astonishing 11ppl more for unleaded compared to residents in Bishop Auckland. The trend was similar for diesel, with East Durham residents paying 3ppl, 5ppl, and 12ppl more for diesel compared to Asda stores in Sunderland, Hartlepool, and Bishop Auckland, respectively.

In the weeks that followed, Mr. Morris used social media to consistently highlight these price differences, in addition to writing to the Competition and Markets Authority and Asda about the local pricing disparities. In a recent response, Asda denied any allegations of ‘profiteering’ and emphasised their commitment to customers through various offers aimed at alleviating the cost of living crisis.

As Mr. Morris prepared to respond, he collected the same information he had gathered on August 4th, with some surprising results. For Peterlee, unleaded prices either matched or were lower than those at comparable stores, and for diesel, the price either matched or was within a 2ppl range.

Reflecting on this data, Mr. Morris remarked:

“The issue of fair fuel pricing is a national concern that required the intervention of the Competition and Markets Authority. However, the Asda fuel price data demonstrated a significant local issue.

I have been firm in my criticism of Asda; nevertheless, it is only fair to acknowledge when a business has listened and acted. It is remarkable that in just eight weeks, they managed to eliminate an 11ppl and 12ppl price difference for unleaded and diesel, respectively, protecting East Durham residents from rising costs.

It is widely accepted that fuel prices can vary between forecourts, even within the same company. However, all we requested were fair fuel prices and an end to extreme price disparities that left customers in East Durham feeling exploited.

I thank Asda for listening, understanding the issue, and taking steps to address it. I hope these recent developments can underscore for the government the importance of fuel price transparency, and that the promised fuel finder scheme will be operational without delay.”