Supermarket giant Morrisons has slashed the cost of diesel to below the £1-a-litre mark in a move likely to intensify the forecourt price war.
The retailer said that all its pumps will be selling diesel at 99.9p a litre - down by up to 5p on the weekend and a drop of 34p from its July high.
Motoring group AA welcomed the news, predicting that other retailers would now follow suit.
Supermarkets have been leading the way in cutting the price of petrol, with Morrisons being the first to drop unleaded below the £1-a-litre mark in October and under 90p last month.
Monday's announcement sees the chain knocking the price of diesel down by between 3p and 5p on its forecourts across the UK.
Marc Bolland, chief executive of Morrisons, said: "Morrisons is taking the lead again in helping motorists.
"This time, we are the first in the UK to sell diesel for less than £1 a litre. We are absolutely committed to giving the strongest value for our growing number of customers."
The move means that drivers of a typical diesel family car will be more than £18 better off on a full tank of fuel than they were in July.
Paul Watters, head of public affairs at the AA, said: "At the start of the week it is good news. It is going to make some big savings for diesel drivers that shop at Morrisons. It is not surprising because the price of oil has come down. It has taken a while for it to reflect at the pumps.
"We are delighted that Morrisons have done this. It will keep the price war going, we should see others following Morrisons."
The retailer said that all its pumps will be selling diesel at 99.9p a litre - down by up to 5p on the weekend and a drop of 34p from its July high.
Motoring group AA welcomed the news, predicting that other retailers would now follow suit.
Supermarkets have been leading the way in cutting the price of petrol, with Morrisons being the first to drop unleaded below the £1-a-litre mark in October and under 90p last month.
Monday's announcement sees the chain knocking the price of diesel down by between 3p and 5p on its forecourts across the UK.
Marc Bolland, chief executive of Morrisons, said: "Morrisons is taking the lead again in helping motorists.
"This time, we are the first in the UK to sell diesel for less than £1 a litre. We are absolutely committed to giving the strongest value for our growing number of customers."
The move means that drivers of a typical diesel family car will be more than £18 better off on a full tank of fuel than they were in July.
Paul Watters, head of public affairs at the AA, said: "At the start of the week it is good news. It is going to make some big savings for diesel drivers that shop at Morrisons. It is not surprising because the price of oil has come down. It has taken a while for it to reflect at the pumps.
"We are delighted that Morrisons have done this. It will keep the price war going, we should see others following Morrisons."
Comment