MOTORISTS in Leatherhead are being landed with inflated prices at the pumps by oil giant BP because the town is deemed to be wealthy.
This week the BP petrol station on Kingston Road was charging drivers 139.9p per litre for unleaded petrol and 147.9p per litre for diesel – sparking outrage among drivers in and around the town.
But the company defended its prices – among the highest in Mole Valley – by saying its price policy was based on "local market conditions" as well as site location and surrounding competition.
Taxi driver Paul Simmonds said the Kingston Road garage is the most expensive he has seen and said current prices were "over the top".
He added: "Local people, especially elderly people, need to be aware they're [paying more at the pumps]. The typical price in London is 142p per litre and why they're charging almost 148p I don't know."
Mr Simmonds, 46, from Ashtead, said his business would struggle if he used the Leatherhead BP station on a regular basis.
He added: "It eats into your profits – it's a very expensive area for my fuel."
He is now urging other drivers to use the other petrol stations in Ashtead and Epsom, which are cheaper.
The average UK cost for diesel is currently 144.76p per litre. The Shell petrol station in The Street, Ashtead, is charging 136.9p per litre for unleaded petrol and 143.9p per litre for diesel.
Leatherhead resident Harry Humphreys said: "I try to avoid using that petrol station because the prices are higher than most places I pass.
"My advice to drivers is to make a note of all the petrol stations you pass on the route you use regularly and make sure you fill up at the cheapest one.
"You might think saving a few pence per litre isn't much – but over a year you could end up saving yourself a lot of money."
BP spokesman Mark Salt said: "Company-owned sites are based on local market conditions, reflecting the location of the site, its facilities and the competition.
"This means the prices can vary from site to site, no matter how close or far away they are."
He added that high prices are also down to government set fuel duty, VAT, transportation costs and overheads.
Blaming the nearby motorway and market conditions, AA spokesman Luke Bosdet said: "You are in one of the bad areas for petrol prices.
"These prices try to take advantage of being a captive audience – the people that go in are often making a distress purchase."