| Good evening, another beautiful day! Have you been out today to fill the car? After a year when many of us saved money as our cars sat on our drives during lockdowns, it’s come as a bit of shock to pay for fuel again. With coronavirus restrictions eased and the sun shining, many are ramping up the mileage again, and being stung and not just by traffic queues in Lancashire or wasps. The price of petrol has reached a high of nearly two years. A litre of the fuel costs an average of £1.28 at UK forecourts, Government figures show. It has not been that expensive since August 2019, according to analysis by the PA news agency. Diesel costs an average of £1.32 per litre, which is an amount not seen since January 2020. Prices were low last year but obviously, motorists were unable to take advantage. Fuel sank to as low as £1.05 per litre of petrol and £1.12 per litre of diesel in May 2020. Now the cost of filling up a typical 55-litre petrol family car has since risen by around £13, while a full tank of diesel is approximately £11 more. Ouch. Are we being taken advantage of by retailers? Probably. Maybe we should stay home after all. Have a lovely evening and rest of week, Kind regards, Nicola Adam Editor Blackpool Gazette Associate Editor Lancashire Post | 
