Cornwall Fuel Costs Climb Again – Drivers Now Paying £74 a Tank

Cornwall drivers are facing rising fuel costs, with a full tank now costing around £74 and taking up more than 10% of the area’s median weekly pay, according to new research.

The data, released by Ovoko using FuelMap figures and Office for National Statistics wage data, shows petrol prices in Cornwall rose by 5.6% between 9th March and 30th March. While this is one of the slowest increases in England, the overall cost remains significant.

Slower rise but still costly

Cornwall recorded the third smallest increase in petrol prices across England during the three-week period. Prices rose from 140.2p per litre to 148p.

Despite the slower rise compared to other areas, the cost of filling a 50-litre tank now stands at around £74. This equates to 10.1% of the median weekly wage in the South West.

Neighbouring Devon saw an even smaller increase of 5.2%, with a full tank costing £72.95, just under 10% of the regional weekly pay.

How Cornwall compares

Across England, some areas experienced much sharper increases.

Merseyside recorded the steepest rise at 7.7%, with prices climbing from 135.6p to 146p per litre. A full tank there now costs £73, just under 10% of the North West’s median weekly wage.

Other regions including the West Midlands, Tyne and Wear, and West Yorkshire also saw increases of around 7%, with fuel costs taking up as much as 10.5% of weekly earnings in some areas.

At the other end of the scale, the Isle of Wight had the smallest increase at 4.6%, although it remains the most expensive place for petrol at 151.5p per litre. A full tank there costs £75.75.

Pressure on household budgets

Kazimieras Urbonas, Supplier Excellence Manager at Ovoko, said the speed of recent increases is a key concern.

Kazimieras Urbonas said: “The gap between the top and bottom of that table is still significant, even within England. A 7% rise over three months would be noticeable. Over three weeks, it means drivers in places like Merseyside have had almost no time to adjust their budgets. While the increases are not as steep as those seen elsewhere in the UK, they are still coming through quickly in a short space of time.”

He added: “What stands out is how those increases line up with regional wages. In several areas, a full tank is already taking around a tenth of weekly pay, which means even smaller rises can have a noticeable impact on household budgets.”

Kazimieras Urbonas also highlighted that in some northern regions, fuel costs are placing even greater strain on incomes.

He said: “The rate of increase is an important factor, but what really matters is how much a fill costs against what people earn. In Northern regions and Yorkshire and the Humber, many counties now hand over more than a tenth of the weekly wage for a single tank, with Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham among the most affected, and that does not leave people with much room. Filling up the car is now competing with the weekly food shop for the same slice of the pay packet.”

A growing concern for drivers

Although Cornwall’s price rise is among the slowest in England, the figures show that fuel remains a significant expense for drivers across the county.

With prices already sitting at 148p per litre and the cost of a full tank exceeding £73, even modest increases are continuing to put pressure on weekly budgets.