The average price of unleaded petrol in the UK has risen by 5p a litre in a week to 167.17p, according to the RAC.
The motoring organisation said it was the biggest weekly increase since April. Diesel prices have also risen by 5p a litre to 188.63p.
The increases come as the price of Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil, has returned to $100 a barrel amid escalating hostilities in the Middle East. The conflict has disrupted crude oil supplies, a key ingredient in petrol and diesel.
The RAC said the cost of filling a family-sized car had risen by £2.75 over the past week. Rod Dennis, the organisation’s senior policy officer, said drivers were being exposed to events thousands of miles away and warned there was “no sign of any relief yet”.
“With the cost of a barrel of oil having averaged $96 for the last week, wholesale prices are surging and that's already feeding through to prices at the forecourt,” he said.
The RAC advised motorists to drive as efficiently as possible and look for the cheapest forecourts. Petrol prices are now at their highest level since September 2022, while diesel remains below the record 191.54p a litre reached in April.