The UK forecourt industry trade body has clashed with the government after claiming that “inflammatory language” used by ministers to describe rising pump prices may have incited abuses against forecourt staff.
The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) said ministers had suggested for several days that service stations could be “price gouging” and “ripping off” motorists as global oil markets have soared in response to the war in Iran.
The group raised its concerns in a statement, saying it had walked out of a meeting with Rachel Reeves to discuss soaring fuel prices, blaming ministers’ “incorrect and inflammatory” language.
However, within hours, the PRA, which represents the owners of 65% of the UK’s service stations, reversed its stance and agreed to join the meeting scheduled 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 rise in prices at the pump.
The CMA said on Thursday that fuel retailers had been “put on notice” amid a wider government crackdown to stop bosses boosting profits at the expense of consumers. Service station owners will have to provide their revenue, cost and sales data to the watchdog, accelerating its review of the fuel industry’s margins, which began after the conflict two weeks ago.
Fuel prices have risen at their fastest pace since 2022, hitting their highest level in 18 months on Friday, after the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran almost two weeks ago. Rising global oil market prices have seen petrol prices rise by an average of 7.8p to 140.6p per 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 prepared to intervene to stop the “scams”.
Gordon Balmer, chief executive of the PRA, said the “incorrect and inflammatory” language used to describe the steady rise in pump prices this week had led to recent incidents in which members of the public abused retail staff. Balmer said the abuse could have been “provoked” by the use of the terms “scam” and “profiteering.”
He added: “Our members are working hard in difficult circumstances, making sure motorists and businesses get the fuel they need at very competitive prices, with very low or, in some cases, negative margins, meaning they are losing money.”
Miliband’s comments echoed earlier warnings this week from Reeves, who told MPs that the government’s fuel tracking service had found some petrol stations were charging “almost 180p per litre, while others were charging less than 130p per litre”.
Balmer said on Friday night that the talks had been “constructive” but that they had not apologized for the ministers’ “inflammatory language”.
He said: “The meeting went very well. We had a constructive debate with the government on this issue and we are working collaboratively with them.”
A Treasury spokesman said attendees broadly agreed that transparency helps consumers find the cheapest prices by boosting competition.
“The chancellor and energy secretary highlighted that the rollout of the government’s fuel finder is accelerating, with more than 90% of the market now covered, and there was agreement that companies would provide more up-to-date information and prices in more places,” the spokesperson said.
“This would mean drivers can see, in real time, where the cheapest fuel is nearby.”
