DIESEL prices are continuing to drop across Northern Ireland with an increasing number of stations now selling at under 155p per litre.
Prices for diesel are now selling at levels last seen just after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and before their rapid rise to close to a peak of nearly £2 a litre last summer.
Stations in the north are reporting the lowest prices compared to other parts of the UK, with an average of 161.7p, according to Forecourt Trader.
This compares to an average across Britain of 168.4p, the figures published on Monday reveal.
The Consumer Council’s weekly fuel price checker, published last Thursday, reported the average price of diesel was 162.5p.
It found big differences, ranging from 151.9p at one station in Strabane to 166.9p in Magherafelt. The average price in the north just after the Russian invasion was 150.5p.
The checker is likely to reveal a further drop this week. At two stations close to the centre of Belfast, diesel was on sale for 154.9p.
But the AA’s fuel price spokesman, Luke Bosdet, cautioned that the fuel duty cut, effectively 6p when accounting for value added tax, must be factored in when comparing prices to this time last year.
However, the north consistently posts the lowest diesel, and petrol prices, due to a number of reasons.
The market is more agile and consumers more aware, in large part because of the fuel price checker, Mr Bosdet said.
He added: “The wholesale price of petrol has gone up but the whole sale price of diesel has fallen away.
“Because of the milder winter the demand for home heating oil has been less and this comes from the same part of the barrel as diesel.”
Overall, the market for fuel has stabilised following the shocks caused by Russia’s actions and the loss of its products, Mr Bosdet said.
Europe has learned to adjust to living “without Russian” products, including diesel, he added.
While the diesel price is continuing to drop – from the eyewatering peak of 197.5p in July last year – the average was 120p two years ago at this time of year.
