PRICE disparities at the petrol pump are nothing new to the Cornish motorist – however, the latest fuel prices show that there is a 16p difference between the cheapest petrol and the most expensive petrol in Cornwall.

We compiled publicly available data to assess how much petrol and diesel costs within five miles of some of Cornwall’s major towns which laid bare a genuine postcode lottery on how much people pay at the pump.

The prices were then sorted according to the cheapest price for fuel within five miles of a town and the most expensive fuel in the same boundary and are accurate as of the morning of Tuesday, January 20.

The cheapest petrol in Cornwall was found on forecourts in and around Penzance, Saltash and Torpoint, all of which had a lowest price of 129.9p.

Penzance was also the cheapest place in Cornwall on average to buy petrol, with an average price on the forecourts of 130.4p a litre.

In the case of Saltash, the fuel stations within the town’s boundary were among the most expensive, with a 10p a litre difference between a service station in the town and in a nearby village which was among the cheapest in Cornwall. This wide price disparity meant that its average price for petrol was 134.9p a litre.

Torpoint’s fuel prices benefitted from its proximity to Plymouth, with some fuel stations across the Tamar offering fuel for cheaper than within five miles of the town in Cornwall.

Other towns with the cheapest prices for petrol on average was in St Austell and St Blazey, with both towns sharing a lot of fuel stations within a five mile radius leading to more competition in the market.

Helston and Newquay made up the top five for average price per litre for fuel, with both averaging a price of 132.4p a litre.

However, for other towns, the picture was less economical.

Wadebridge’s fuel prices were among the most expensive at the fuel pump, with motorists filling up in the town paying a minimum of 135.9p a litre for petrol and a maximum of 142.9p a litre. With the majority of Padstow’s fuel stations falling in a similar radius distance wise to Wadebridge, it too was joined on the list of the most expensive.

The most expensive town on average for petrol was Camelford, where a limited supply of fuel stations in a five-mile radius saw a minimum price of 143.9p a litre and a maximum price of 144.0p a litre representing the most expensive overall.

Four of the five most expensive towns to buy fuel in Cornwall are located in the North Cornwall parliamentary constituency.

Bodmin, despite having two supermarket branded fuel stations in its town was the fifth most expensive place to buy petrol, with an average price of 137.3p a litre borne from a cheapest petrol price of 134.7p a litre and the most expensive at 139.9p a litre.

Joining Bodmin, Wadebridge, Padstow and Camelford in the five most expensive places was Looe, with only one fuel station in a five mile radius displaying online its current fuel prices at 138.9p a litre.

The cheapest towns on average to buy diesel were St Blazey, Penzance, St Austell, Helston and Liskeard.

In St Blazey, the average price for diesel was 139.3 pence per litre, with both the cheapest and most expensive diesel being within one pence of each other, with a similar situation in Penzance and St Austell.

In Helston, the cheapest price per litre of diesel was 138.9p with the most expensive being 141.9p a litre.

Liskeard made the top five for diesel prices owing to it having a very limited difference in price between competing fuel stations with a cheapest diesel price of 139.9p a litre and a most expensive of 140.9p.

St Austell and St Blazey both had a forecourt price of 138.7 pence per litre for diesel at their cheapest stations, while even the most expensive diesel within a five mile radius of the latter was a full 10p cheaper than the cheapest diesel in Camelford.

Penzance, Torpoint, Helston, Lostwithiel and Truro all had a cheapest price of 138.9p for diesel within five miles of each town.

However, the same five towns which were the most expensive for petrol are once again the most expensive towns for diesel in the form of Looe, Bodmin, Wadebridge, Padstow and Camelford.

The one station within a five mile radius of Looe that had prices publicly available had a price per litre of 144.9p.

Meanwhile in Bodmin, despite having five fuel stations within a five mile radius of the town, competition doesn’t seem to have the same effect as it does in other areas with forecourt prices among the most expensive.

The cheapest diesel in the town was 143.9 pence per litre while the most expensive was 149.9 pence per litre, an average of 146.9 pence per litre.

In Wadebridge, Padstow and Camelford a combination of a lack of competition and remoteness would appear to have a similar effect with the three towns averaging 146.9p, 147.4p and 149.9p per litre respectively.