Petrol price searches climb

Protests by lorry drivers may not have caused a panic at the petrol pumps yet, but have seen motorists searching for cheap petrol online in their droves.

According to figures from web-monitoring firm Hitwise, searches for 'petrol prices' and 'diesel prices' have leapt in the wake of the hauliers' protests over the price of fuel.

Sixty-eight per cent of people searching for the term 'petrol prices' are going to www.petrolprices.com, a website that lets people find the cheapest fuel in their location.

The site has increased its market share of UK internet visits by 270 per cent this year, according to Hitwise.

Just last month, Web User reported that motorists were searching for cheap petrol online following a strike at an oil refinery in Scotland.

"Searches for the term have been increasing since Christmas, and have shot up in line with prices at the pump and the level of public and political interest in the issue," said Hitwise's Robin Goad.

www.hitwise.com
www.petrolprices.com