DIESEL company car drivers are getting a raw deal as pump prices stay unchanged despite falls in the price of petrol over the past six months, ARVAL PHH Vehicle Solutions said this week. Latest figures from the fuel card provider show that the average price of unleaded petrol is 77p a litre/350p a gallon, a fall of 7p /31.8p from the 84p/381.8p it cost in July last year.

Over the same period super unleaded has fallen by more than 4p/18.1p to 83p/377.3p. However, the current UK average price for diesel is 82p/372.7p - the same as six months ago - and putting the fuel on a price level with four star petrol. While hauliers rely on diesel to transport goods around the UK it is widely expected that diesel cars will become increasingly popular with company car drivers as they seek to offset potential increases in benefit-in-kind tax with the introduction of a carbon dioxide emissions-based regime in April next year.

Highest and lowest fuel pump prices in Britain monitored by ARVAL PHH are: unleaded - lowest, Bradford 78.59p/357.29p; highest, Oban 81.96p/372.6p. Diesel - lowest, Southend 83.54p/379.78p; highest - 85.71p/389.65p.