AFTER months of rising fuel costs, there were hopes today that a price war among supermarkets could finally bring pump prices down.

Paul Geater

AFTER months of rising fuel costs, there were hopes today that a price war among supermarkets could finally bring pump prices down.

However the news did not seem to have reached all fuel outlets in Suffolk today and there was little sign of prices dropping.

Supermarket giant Morrisons sparked the latest price war yesterday by announcing it was cutting the price of fuel by 3p a litre across its 285 stations.

At Morrisons the cost of unleaded petrol dropped to 106.9p a litre - 118.9p a litre for diesel - at Sproughton Road in Ipswich and 107.9p a litre - 119.9p a litre for diesel - at Felixstowe while elsewhere the cost of fuel has change little since last week.

Nationally rival supermarket Asda and fuel giant BP responded in turn with their own reductions. Asda cut its fuel prices to 106.9p a litre for unleaded and 118.9p for diesel.

And BP said it was dropping its prices by "as much as 3p a litre" at most of its company-owned sites across the country. Esso joined the war and said it will be reviewing its prices.

A national spokesman for Esso said fuel sales were a highly competitive business and added that they vigorously compete with competition.

Shell also said it would be passing on the falling cost of oil to its customers.

There was further good news for motorists with predictions that fuel prices are expected to fall by up to six pence a litre in the next month.

A spokesman for the Petrol Retailer's Association said lower fuel prices would not just be a relief for motorists and hauliers.

He said: “Businesses don't actually make money when the cost of fuel is high - it gets to a point where they are actually losing out. They make between zero and 1p per litre and have to make the rest of the money up from the shops attached to the site. The lower prices will relieve pressure on them as well.”

- Are you pleased about the fuel price falls? Write to: Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk