A FALL in the cost of crude oil has not brought lower prices at the pumps, a motoring organisation claimed.

The AA said that in a month when oil prices fell back below 100 dollars a barrel, average UK petrol prices had barely shifted.

It demanded government action to ensure motorists got a better deal on the forecourt.

But a Huddersfield petrol retailer said prices at local sites had fallen by about 10p a litre from a peak in July – and stressed that the weak pound against the dollar had “wiped out” any potential benefits of the fall in crude prices to UK fuel suppliers.

Chris Stern, of Paddock-based C&J Stern (Oils) Ltd, said: “In the past few weeks, the pound has slipped from two dollars to about 1.70.

“Since UK suppliers have to pay in dollars, it has wiped out any benefit from that fall in the dollar-price for oil.

“If oil prices continue to fall I am sure we will see some benefit in lower prices on the forecourts, but the economy is in turmoil at the moment and no one can see what’s around the corner.”

Mr Stern said prices for fuel in Huddersfield were typically 109.9p a litre for unleaded and 129.9 for diesel, although some petrol stations were charging 2p to 3p more than that.

The AA said unleaded petrol prices across the UK fell by just 0.25p over the past month from an average of 113.15p a litre in mid-August to 112.88 in mid-September.

The average for diesel fell by 1.32p a litre from 125.58p to 124.26p.

The AA said it expected a drop of 4p a litre for unleaded petrol and 6p for diesel in coming weeks. Prices in Yorkshire were typically 2p a litre below prices in London, it said.

AA president Edmund King said pressure was mounting on the government to investigate fuel price movements – to ensure pump prices moved more quickly into line with falling wholesale prices and more equitable prices across the regions.

“We see two solutions,” added Mr King. “Either a transparent track of wholesale prices matched against pump prices or the creation of a government fuel price regulator to monitor the market.”