Major changes could make it easier to find the cheapest petrol wherever you are – here’s how

A BIG change could make it easier to find the cheapest gas wherever you are.

The government wants to tell drivers the price of fuel at every petrol station to prevent garages from raising prices.

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Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has asked Treasury and Commerce Department officials to study a system that would require gas stations to submit pricing information to a central agency.

The program is based on a Northern Ireland project that tracks petrol prices across the province.

And has been partly responsible for keeping prices lower than the rest of the UK.

According to the latest figures from RAC, drivers in Northern Ireland pay an average of 145p for a liter of petrol.

However, drivers in the south-east of England pay 151p.

That means drivers with an average car could afford to drive about 20 miles further and still be better off with cheaper gas.

And the price differential for diesel is even greater, with an average cost in Northern Ireland of 165p a liter compared to 173p in the east and south-east of England.

Officials are also considering setting up a new unit that would collect data on wholesale prices to provide a benchmark for fuel costs.

This comes after drivers complained about gas stations that are quick to raise prices when fuel costs rise but are slow to pass on savings when they fall.

Benchmark prices would be set at a regional level.

And those gas stations that agree not to set prices above these levels are allowed to put a dragon sign on gas stations.

Howard Cox, founder of the interest group FairfuelUK said to that Just: “Nobody objects to gas station dealers earning a decent living, but the current system is far too opaque.

“We have been in a war of attrition for far too long and it is good that the government is finally realizing that pump prices are not fair.”

RAC’s Simon Williams said if prices could be much lower in Northern Ireland there was no reason why they couldn’t be set at the same level in the UK.

“Hopefully this could be the leverage we need to force retailers to offer fairer prices.

“You wouldn’t expect them to do that with food.”