NEW analysis has revealed which areas in Scotland are worst hit by soaring petrol costs – and which regions pay the most for fuel.
Residents of East Dunbartonshire came out on top and were shown to have access to the most affordable fuel in Scotland.
For drivers in the area, filling up with a 55-litre tank of petrol (£83.71) will account for 13.62% of the regions' typical weekly wage of £618.60.
The research, by financial comparison website Forbes Adviser, used data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Petrol Map, a live petrol price tracking website which records fuel prices in every town and city of the UK.
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The analysis averaged weekly wages in every local authority in Scotland with its average cost of a 55-litre tank of petrol to uncover the areas worst hit by soaring petrol prices.
After East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire has Scotland’s second most affordable petrol, with a full tank (£87.20) costing residents 13.72% of their weekly wage (£635.80).
Shetland comes third on Scotland’s list of places with the most affordable petrol, with those in the area spending 14.43% of their weekly wage (£580.20) on fuel. This compares to the Scottish average of 17.01%.
In comparison, residents of Angus – the area with Scotland’s least affordable petrol – spend almost a fifth (19.4%) of their weekly wage (£459) on a tank of petrol (£89.21), above the Scottish average of 17.01%.
This makes them the hardest hit in Scotland by high fuel prices, despite the 5p a litre cut in fuel duty announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
Dumfries and Galloway has the second least affordable petrol in Scotland after Angus, with residents paying 19.43% of their weekly wage (£459) towards a tank of petrol (£89.21).
Moray is third on the list of Scottish areas with the least affordable petrol, with a 55-litre tank (£84.42) consuming 19.21% of the average weekly wage (£439.50) in the area.
Inverclyde, Argyll and Bute, and Dundee also fare badly when it comes to the affordability of petrol, with residents respectively putting 19.16%, 18.90%, and 18.64% of their weekly wage towards petrol.
Kevin Pratt, personal finance spokesperson at Forbes Advisor, said: “While some areas of Scotland such as East Renfrewshire are benefiting from relatively affordable fuel prices, the fact that a tank of petrol is consuming over 19% of weekly wages in some areas of Scotland is deeply concerning.
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“There’s a perfect storm of rising prices brewing at the moment which threatens to push people across Scotland towards genuine, deep financial hardship.
"Not just petrol, but gas and electricity bills, the cost of the weekly shop and services like mobile phones and broadband are just some of the bills that are rocketing upwards in an era of steepling inflation.
"This Friday sees the latest hike in the domestic energy price cap. It is forecast to rise again sharply next October, when typical households could be facing annual bills of £2500 – double what they are today. And let’s not forget that the cut in fuel duty is only temporary.
"If it is reinstated in 12 months, as planned, it will heap yet more unwelcome pressure on household budgets that are already stretched to – and in some cases beyond – the breaking point.”
A list of the Scottish regions included in the data analysis can be found below
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