Katrina is blamed for fuel price rise

Monday 5th September 2005, 12:00AM BST.

HURRICANE Katrina has resulted in a surge in petrol prices which could see the cost of fuel rise to £1 a litre.

Providers in Jersey say there has been an increase in the wholesale cost of unleaded petrol of four pence per litre and three pence per litre for diesel.

Retail prices went up again at most pumps this weekend and currently range between 89.9 and 94 pence per litre, but UK analysts say it could eventually reach £1.

Total Jersey operations manager Chris Parlett said prices on the open markets had ‘gone up considerably’ since the hurricane hit.

He added that there were no concerns about availability of fuel, the main concern was the price.

He said: ‘We don’t know what’s going to happen here.

None of the futures markets could have predicted that effect.

This is something that is obviously going to have an impact on everybody.’

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