Retailers have been hit with the bill for the recent rise in fuel prices, as wholesalers attempt to claw back some of the extra cost of their deliveries.

Nisa Today’s and Key Lekkerland have both put up the prices for certain types of delivery and blamed the increase on rising fuel costs. In Nisa’s case, a 1% across-the-board increase has been imposed. Nisa-Today’s group commercial managing director Neil Turton said: “As a Group, we have unfortunately had to impose a small fuel-related price increase in the price of goods from central distribution to members. Although this is not an ideal situation for our members, fuel is a huge part of our cost-base and the increase has sadly become inevitable.”

Key Lekkerland has added a small levy to its smaller deliveries. Commercial director John Liptrot said: “Where we have contracts to supply we have kept prices the same, but where new customers have come on board and want anything that fails to meet our minimum requirements for a delivery we have added a £10 surcharge to cover costs.”

However, not every wholesaler has passed the escalating cost of fuel increases on to its retailers. A spokeswoman for Musgrave Budgens Londis (MBL) commented: “Any changes in petrol prices would not be passed onto Londis or Budgens retailers. The group has made significant investments over the last year to support its retailers and MBL will be absorbing any extra costs rather than passing them onto the retailers.”

The rise in delivery costs came after the price of unleaded petrol reached £1 a litre in parts of the UK.