Nobody wants to pay more for fuel than they need to. This may especially be true in the UK where, due in large part to heavy taxes, both gas and diesel are much more expensive than they are in the States. Regardless of how much it's taxed, though, as the price for a barrel of crude goes down, so should the cost of fuel for the end consumer, at least in theory. It seems that this isn't entirely the case across the pond, where an investigation is currently underway into current fuel prices. When compared to the last time the bulk price of crude was comparable to what it is now, the price at the pump is notably higher. Sure, there's more to the price of a gallon of petrol than how much the refiner paid for its stock, but even after allowing for these adjustments, many believe that the UK population is being overcharged. Sounds like a common sentiment the world over.

[Source: What Car?]

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We're driving, driving, driving like it's nineteen-ninety-nine. Well, not exactly, but Citroën says that owners of its cars in the UK may actually be driving for less money per mile on average than they did eight years ago. Here in the states, gas was über-cheap in the year 2K, but in the UK, where both petrol and diesel has always been more expensive, the price was quite a bit steeper due to fuel protests in September of that year. In fact, Citroën claims that the increased efficiency of its models more than makes up for the increase in the price of gas that took place between the year 2000 and today, even when adjusted for inflation. It's not all good news, though, as the price of oil continues to rise. "Whilst improved fuel efficiency and advances in vehicle design have reduced the cost of filling up, in real terms, the economic benefits of improved efficiency could soon be canceled out altogether if prices continue to rise at their current rate, although our commitment to reducing CO₂ and harmful emissions will not be lessened," according to Marc Raven, spokesman for Citroën.