Fuel War: Price Slash Gives Motorists Hope

Consumers may benefit from an impending petrol price war, after one supermarket chain decided to slash vehicle fuel costs.

Sainsbury has announced that it would drop its fuel prices at the company's 279 forecourts.

Prices will dip by 4p a litre, with diesel being reduced by 3p a litre, from Wednesday onwards.

Rivals were expected to respond with decreases of their own.

What Car? editor-in-chief Chas Hallett told Sky News: "Drivers are being hit by ever increasing fuel prices, so any retailer initiating a drop like this is good news.

"No doubt that what your car does to the gallon is certainly the number one concern of anyone who relies on their car for work and personal life."

Supermarkets have increasingly become the point of delivery of fuel for many motorists.

Traditional branded forecourts have struggled against supermarket equivalents in recent years, which have offset costs from elsewhere in their businesses.

Motorists have also struggled as prices remain elevated, despite weaker demand from the depressed global economy.

"Fuel prices are still higher than they should be and the Government really needs to take a harder look at the huge amount it rakes in from fuel duties," What Car?'s Mr Hallett said.

"Any politician who promises to drop them would doubtless get the vote from motorists."

Sainsbury's head of fuel, Richard Crampton added: "We know that fuel is a big part of many customers' weekly budget so we're keen to do anything we can to help."