Petrol prices have increased by 6p in 12 months - and prices are still going up.

Confused.com research has revealed UK fuel prices have reached the most expensive in almost two years.

Prices are continuing to rise week-on-week, with petrol and diesel going up 1.1p per litre and 1.0p respectively.

The average cost of filling a medium-sized tank (57L) with petrol in the region has reached £71, while diesel will go up to £73.

Almost one in five (18%) of UK drivers are put off driving by the cost of fuel, with more than an eighth (13%) say they cannot afford to fill up their car with fuel on a regular basis.

The average price of petrol went up 6.0p in 12 months to an eye-watering 124.4p/l, following a hike in the cost of crude oil.

And owners of diesel cars are also bearing the brunt of increases, with the average price per litre hiking up another 6.6p year-on-year to 127.3p/l.

This past week alone has seen significant change in prices, with petrol increases 1.1p in just seven days, and diesel coming out at 1.0p more expensive than the previous week.

These fuel hikes means drivers of a medium-sized car (57L) will be paying out £71 to fill their tanks with petrol.

This is £4 more per tank than 12 months ago, when prices were at 118.4p/l. And it’s a similar picture for diesel cars.

It now costs £73 to fill up a medium-sized (57L) car to capacity – also £4 more expensive than May 2017 when diesel was 120.7p/l.

Overall, prices across the UK have rocketed to the most expensive prices paid by drivers in almost two years, when Confused.com’s fuel price index first began.

Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, says: “Fuel prices in the East of England have increased a significant amount over the past twelve months, and more recently, the past week. And no doubt drivers in the region are feeling the pinch. Motorists will need to budget even more to fill up their tanks, especially if they are planning any long-distance road trips this summer.

“To soothe the sting of sky-high petrol and diesel costs it’s more important than ever that drivers shop around to find the most affordable fuel. Drivers can find the cheapest station in their local area using Confused.com’s fuel price comparison tool. Any money saved is a driver win.”