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Opened in 1968, Woodall services on the M1 near Sheffield is Yorkshire’s oldest roadside service station. This weekend, it was also one of the country’s most expensive pit stops, with diesel priced at 185.9p a litre and petrol at 172.9p.
“Do you really want to know what I think? You probably couldn’t print it,” said biker Alan Harrison, who had stopped for a coffee break in the sunshine while heading from Leeds to Bournemouth.
“It’s daylight robbery. People are going to start seriously thinking about how often they use their car if it carries on like this.”
Fuel prices have risen at their fastest rate since 2022, reaching their highest level in 18 months on Friday, since the US and Israel began airstrikes on Iran almost two weeks ago.
The surge in global oil market prices has caused petrol prices to increase by an average of 7.8p to 140.6p a litre, while diesel has risen by 16.8p to 159.18p.
Kevin Grieve had filled up in South Shields before setting off on a journey with his family to take part in a medieval reenactment event in Coventry.
“I paid 171p, which is probably 20p more than it was a week ago. It’s ridiculous but I can see it going higher if the war continues for any length of time.
“We had this trip planned for a while but I’m probably going to have to stop again for petrol on the way back. I’ll go off the motorway and look for somewhere cheaper.”
Roger Thorpe, a wine retailer from York, was driving to Northampton to visit his parents. “I’m lucky to be able to walk to where I work. York is also very compact and great for cycling.
“The only time I really drive is long distance like this and with the way things are with the prices going up like this, it does pay to shop around. I live close to a Morrisons and petrol is still pretty cheap there,” he said.
Football fan Shannon Higgott was en route from Hartlepool to London with her nephews Taylor and Mason to watch Newcastle take on Chelsea.
“We could have gone by train but it’s so expensive so I decided to drive. I’ve been keeping an eye on the petrol prices because you have to factor them in. It’s getting to the point where I won’t be doing so many away games like this.
“I put a full tank in for 133p yesterday because I knew I was going to be on the M1 today. I think some of the prices are a ripoff.”
Lorry driver Sujinder Singh said he was bracing himself for more price rises at the pumps. “I own my lorry so I’m very conscious of the cost. The last two weeks have been a bit crazy. It’s definitely not good for business,” he said.
At an EV charging point, Keith Bradley and his wife, Pauline, were about to depart for a fitness event in Nottingham.
Keith said: “We swapped to EV two years ago and, apart from some issues with getting a smart meter, it’s the best thing we’ve ever done.
“EV prices have gone up recently but nowhere near petrol and diesel. We’ve been lucky because I think some places have jumped at this to make a quick, easy profit on the back of the poor old motorist.”
David Hooper, managing director of the Hull and Humber chamber of commerce, has called on petrol retailers to stop profiteering from the crisis in the Middle East.
He said: “It makes me really cross to see petrol and diesel retailers hiking fuel prices at the first excuse they get.
“The fuel they have already bought and is sitting in tanks under their forecourts is bought weeks in advance and hasn’t gone up so they are simply ripping off motorists.
“Worse than that, they are adding to costs to hard-pressed businesses. Everything gets delivered to shops by trucks. If you increase their costs by raising fuel prices, those higher costs will quickly be passed on to the consumer which then drives up interest and inflation rates.”
A spokesperson for Woodall services operator Welcome Break said: “Fuel pricing at Welcome Break is set consistently across all our motorway service areas and we review it regularly to ensure it reflects the wider motorway market and rising fuel costs.
“We recognise that field prices remain high across the industry and understand the impact this has on our customers.
“Our aim is to keep our prices as competitive as possible within the motorway network while continuing to provide reliable and convenient services for motorists and we will continue to monitor market conditions closely.”
The trade body for the UK’s petrol station industry has got into a row with the government after claiming the “inflammatory language” used by ministers to describe rising pump prices may have incited abuse against forecourt staff.
On Friday, the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) also accused ministers of suggesting that forecourts might be “price gouging” and “ripping off” motorists amid the chaos in global oil markets.
The group initially pulled out of a planned meeting with the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to discuss the rocketing price of fuel, but did later join the event at 11 Downing Street on Friday afternoon.
