Fuel prices drop in Highland city

Fuel costs in Inverness had previously been increasing

The first across-the-board drop in fuel prices since the Grangemouth oil refinery strike in April have been made in Inverness.

Supermarkets Morrisons and Tesco and an Esso filling station have cut the price of unleaded petrol by as much as 2p.

At Morrisons and Tesco, it costs 117.9p for unleaded and 131.9p for diesel.

Prices had been on the rise since the 48-hour strike at, which also led to the closure of the Forties North Sea oil pipeline.

Tourist trade

Tesco cut prices at its Inverness Retail Park and Insches filling stations in the city and also its store in Dingwall, Ross-shire, at the start of the week.

Morrisons dropped the price of petrol and diesel on Wednesday morning.

A spokeswoman for Tesco said: "We have been comparing the Inner Moray Firth area and have made the decision to lower the price of both our petrol and diesel in this area."

The Esso station on the city's Millburn Road has cut petrol to 118.9p. Its price for diesel is 132.9p.

The reductions came amid Inverness Chamber of Commerce's concerns that high transport costs were hitting businesses in the Highlands and Islands.

President Jean Ramsay Smith said while companies in the oil industry were doing well, the tourist trade was suffering.

Business confidence in Scotland has fallen to its lowest level in 10 years, according to the latest quarterly survey from the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, and indicated that lower orders and higher costs have been affecting companies across the board.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version