Asda cuts price of petrol for Black Friday

After announcing it would not take part in this year’s Black Friday, Asda have announced a four pence cut in petrol prices - bringing it below £1 for the first time since 2009.

Asda are set to cut fuel prices this weekend only Picture: Greg Macvean

The discount will take place across its 277 petrol stations for three days, with drivers paying 99.7ppl on unleaded and 103.7ppl on diesel this weekend.

The prices will revert back to their usual on Monday - at 103.7ppl and 106.7ppl on petrol and diesel respectively.

As one of the original retailers who brought Black Friday from the US to the UK, Asda said it wouldn’t be taking part in the shopping day sales due to 2014s chaotic and violent outbreaks in its stores. Instead, they were going to instal price cuts across a range of items through out the year.

These fuel discounts will have added impact, given the freeze on fuel duty announced in the Autumn Statement this week.

However Edmund King, AA president, warned that a cut in fuel prices beyond Black Friday is what is really needed to help UK drivers, saying: “Apart from marketing gimmicks, pump prices haven’t been below £1 per litre for five and a half years.

“Some drivers may wonder why petrol isn’t one pound per litre across the board with oil trading at under 50 US dollars per barrel.”

Asda president and CEO, Andy Clarke, said: “The Chancellor’s freeze on fuel duty is what our customers were hoping for. We’d urge the Chancellor to continue with a freeze on fuel duty in the March Budget to help maintain discretionary income levels for families.”

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: “Due to the latest dip in the crude oil price we had predicted that the most price-competitive fuel retailers would soon be selling petrol for £1 so it is great to see that landmark price is now available across the country at the most expensive time of year.

“Even though this promotion only lasts for three days it will help to bring prices down at forecourts nationwide.

“While we are some way from seeing the average petrol price reach £1, prices at more and more retailers should be getting ever closer to that figure.”

Asda announces it’s skipping Black Friday due to “shopper fatigue”