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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.
The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) said ministers had for several days suggested that forecourts might be “price gouging” and “ripping off” motorists as global oil markets have surged in response to the war in Iran.
The group raised the concerns in a statement, saying it had pulled out of a meeting with Rachel Reeves on Friday to discuss the rocketing price of fuel, blaming “incorrect and inflammatory” language from ministers.
However, within hours the PRA, which represents the owners of 65% of UK forecourts, rowed back on its stance and agreed to join the planned meeting at 11 Downing Street on Friday afternoon.
The chancellor was expected to meet industry leaders alongside Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, to tell them that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was on “high alert” for any unjustifiable price rises at the pumps.
The CMA said on Thursday that the fuel retailers had been “put on notice” amid a wider government crackdown to stop bosses ramping up profits at the expense of consumers. Forecourt owners will be required to provide their revenue, costs and sales data to the watchdog, speeding up its review of fuel industry margins, which it initiated after the conflict two weeks ago.
Fuel prices have risen at their fastest rate since 2022, reaching their highest level in 18 months on Friday, after 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.
Miliband told the BBC on Friday that the government would not tolerate profiteering from the conflict and said the CMA was primed to step in to stop “rip-offs”.
Gordon Balmer, the PRA’s executive director, said that “incorrect and inflammatory” language being used to describe the steady rise of pump prices this week had led to recent incidents of retail staff being abused by members of the public. Balmer said the abuse could have been “provoked” by use of the terms “rip-offs” and “profiteering”.
He added: “Our members are working hard in difficult circumstances making sure that motorists and businesses are getting the fuel they need at prices that are very competitive, on razor-thin or in some cases negative margins, which means they are losing money.”
Miliband’s comments echoed earlier warnings this week from Reeves, who told MPs the government’s fuel finder service had discovered that some petrol stations were charging “almost 180p per litre while others were charging less than 130p per litre”.
Reeves said: “I will be meeting with petrol retailers this week to raise concerns, to get prices down at the pumps.”
The government has been contacted for comment.
