Island fuel prices have reached their highest ever peak. The price of unleaded petrol in Stornoway remains at 150.9 pence and diesel is at 153.9 pence a litre since the last price rise before the announcement of a new 5p duty cut scheme.
Some rural stations were forced to implement a rise on fresh stock after a 4pence increase in the cost of wholesale supplies from the previous week.
The Treasury since revealed it received European agreement for a discount but oil market fluculations means it now costs the island motorists more than ever to fill up with prices soaring beyond previous peaks.
Scottish Fuels’ complete control of all but one fuel station across the islands has sparked suspicions it may unfairly exploit its advantage in the near future.
MP Angus MacNeil is urging Tony Stewart, the fuel supplier boss to met with industry and community representatives on the islands.
Mr MacNeil has also asked the Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore MP to look into fuel distribution costs in the Highlands and Islands while MSP Alasdair Allan wants the Scottish Parliament to hold an inquiry into the Scottish Fuel monopoly in the Western Isles.
Angus MacNeil queried the significant difference in prices between Stornoway and Inverness.
He said: “Recently we saw one of Scottish Fuels subsidiary companies being fined £51,000 for excessive over charging on domestic (heating) fuel supply in Wales.
“It is imperative that we get to the root of the problem on why the price of fuel differs so much between the islands and the mainland. I am sure that Scottish Fuels will want to respect the ultimate users of their fuel by engaging fully with them about this issue.”
Council convener Alex MacDonald wants the island premium slashed to a straight forward 5p per litre difference from mainland prices.
He said the real test of the Treasury duty scheme will be “whether or not people in island areas get the benefit of lower prices and one way to ensure that would be to introduce a scheme whereby there was a 5p maximum price differential between island and mainland fuel retailers.
Thus “whatever the Scottish average, prices on the islands would not go more than 5p higher per litre,” he said.
Stornoway pump prices went up a week last Monday night to their highest level.
Island petrol prices at highest level 21/9/11