One of the region’s cheapest petrol stations has called in extra tankers and seen cars block nearby roads as they queue for the best value fuel.
Motorists have travelled miles to visit Jet Oakley, in West Auckland, as its forecourt charges cheap prices of £160.9p for unleaded and £175.9p for diesel.
Their price tag beats nearby branches of supermarket chains including Sainsbury's, Morrisons, ASDA and Tesco.
Supplies have proved so popular that despite increasing their number of fuel tankers from two to four, they have been close to running out on some days, as motorists queue over the nearby roundabout and along the bypass.
Read more: Cheapest petrol stations in County Durham and Darlington on Monday
Sam Barber, manager at the independent service station, said he decided to keep the costs as low as possible to help residents during a cost-of-living crisis. The petrol station’s location means it is popular with Weardale farmers and residents but also those living in nearby Bishop Auckland.
Sam said: “It’s in our best interest to keep prices down, to get more people shopping inside the business, and spending money in the shop.
“The garage has been here for over 50 years, so we’ve always tried to keep them low for the community. We’ve seen an increase in customers and people who have come to us for the first time because of the cheap fuel.
“But they then buy from the shop and they’re now saying: ‘this is going to be our new regular shop and we will keep coming back here’.”
However, the fact the current prices are being celebrate as ‘cheap’ is reflective of a market which has been pricing many motorists out of paying at the pumps.
The RAC says the UK average prices for petrol is currently £173.46p while diesel is priced at £184.21 – expensive, but still markedly cheaper than the prices some service stations have been charging this year.
Wholesale costs have fallen 30p from their June peak, which the AA motor group said should be passed on to consumers as quickly as possible to save families hundreds of pounds.
Earlier this year, major suppliers BP, Esso and Shell were criticised by the Petrol Retailers Association for not passing on fuel duty cuts quick enough to consumers.
Sam added: “We had to put them up as they were going up, unfortunately. We tried to hold off as much as we could when the prices were rising. We slashed the margin a little bit to try and keep the prices as low as we could, but it kept going up and up.
“It was only our super diesel that went over the £2 mark, we kept everything else just under. The prices did then start coming back down and as soon as we were able to we were getting frequent deliveries.”
But some supermarkets are still charging high prices despite this. Sam added: “I still don’t understand why they are as high as they are considering what we are paying and charging.”
To get more stories from County Durham direct to your email basket go here
Prices for fuel at Jet Oakley are set every Tuesday but staff get an advanced notice of their cost the Saturday before and is when they can prepare how much to order. But with cheaper prices comes extra interest and staff are now scouring numbers and paperwork while working around the clock to ensure the forecourt is always stocked.
For now, Sam and the rest of the staff will continue to look to get the best value fuel for the hundreds of customers who come to their forecourt every day.
He said: “We are situated on the edge of West Auckland and within 10 minutes you can get to four of the big supermarkets which all have their own petrol stations but towards Barnard Castle we are the last one you will get to until the town,” Sam said.
“With our cheap prices, we know people are passing several stations to get to us. We have had a few of nice comments saying that our prices are so low and they will be coming back here because of the service.
“We have our regular customers in every day but it’s always nice to see new people returning.”
Read next:
North East location named among the most dog-friendly beaches in the UK
Next to shut major store in the Metrocentre as big retailer to take over unit
5 roadworks happening in Darlington right now as some ask 'are there any roads left'
If you want to read more great stories, why not subscribe to your Northern Echo for as little as £1.25 a week. Click here
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel