WHY is it so much more expensive to fill up your car in Minehead than Taunton?

This is the question motorists have been asking themselves as the gap in fuel prices between the two towns has widened to 10p per litre.

It has always been slightly more expensive to fill up in Minehead due to its rural location, but in November 2017 the difference was just 2p. In recent weeks the gap has increased fivefold.

On November 2, 2017, the price for unleaded petrol from Morrisons petrol station in Dellers Wharf, Taunton was 109.7p, while on the same day the price at Morrisons in Minehead was 111.9p.

But fast-forward just nine weeks to the present day and you will find that while the price at Morrisons in Taunton is now at 111.7p, the price in Minehead is now 120.9p.

Chard & Ilminster News:

Morrisons in Minehead

The RAC say this means filling up an average 55-litre Ford Focus would cost £61.43 in Taunton but £66.50 in Minehead, so Minehead motorists are almost as well off driving to Taunton to fill up.

However, a spokesman confirmed that, rather than Minehead being outrageously expensive, it was actually Taunton that was the anomaly given how cheap fuel is.

“The average petrol price in UK supermarkets is around 117.9p so Minehead is actually not that far out. What is unusual is how low the Taunton price is – I wouldn’t be surprised if it was one of the lowest in England,” The RAC spokesman said.

“I suspect that prices will creep up so I would recommend people fill up in Taunton while they can.

“Taunton is close to the motorway so you would expect the price to be somewhat cheaper but a nine pence difference between the two is surprising.”

A similar trend has appeared with diesel prices, too, but not as extreme as unleaded. In Taunton you can get diesel from Morrisons, Asda and Sainsbury’s for 117.9p but in Minehead’s Morrisons the price is 123.9p.

However, while Morrisons confirmed the prices were correct, the supermarket could shed little light on the situation.

A Morrisons spokesman said: “We aim to provide the best price locally and this can mean occasionally that price differences between different areas open up.”