Earlier this week the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) issued an update on their study into the Road Fuel market, launched last year after then Business Secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng MP, requested an urgent review of the sector. Since then, the CMA has been studying the operation of the road fuel market given high fuel prices which have been sustained since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Soon after the review was announced, Julia Lopez MP reported a constituent’s concern at potential price-fixing between petrol stations which was subjected to full review by the CMA, despatching officers to visit the two forecourts concerned. After observing prices and confirming the processes by which price-changes were made at each forecourt the CMA confirmed that they did not suspect price-fixing was taking place.

In their recent update, the CMA report that evidence suggests that, since 2019, fuel margins at supermarkets have increased at a greater rate than other retailers and that this may be leading to supermarket fuel to be around 5p per litre more expensive than equivalent 2019 levels. The CMA is also concerned that there may be weaker competition in diesel prices and is conducting formal interviews with supermarkets to consider this further. A full report on the Road Fuel market will be published no later than July.

Linked to their work in the Road Fuel market, as high prices in groceries have persisted, the CMA has set out further studies in the grocery sector to ensure that there are no failures in competition that are contributing to higher prices.

Further information can be found at:  https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-update-on-action-to-help-contain-cost-of-living-pressures