Already at a record, UK petrol price surges the highest in 17 years

The cost of filling up a standard car in the UK, already at an all-time high, surged by the most in 17 years to underscore the inflationary pressures the country faces from soaring fuel bills.

Unleaded petrol jumped by 2.23 pence a liter on Tuesday, the biggest one-day increase since the early 2000s, according to the RAC, a UK motoring organization. That drove it to a fresh high of 180.73 pence (about $8.60 a US gallon) and lifted the cost of filling up a car with a 55-liter tank to £99.40. Diesel also jumped to a new record.

“These are unprecedented times,” said RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams. “Sadly, it seems we are still some way from the peak.”