COMPARE the petrol prices listed in the Gazette one week ago to the petrol prices today, and you might be in for a shock.

It should not come as much of a surprise that petrol prices are continuing to spiral upwards, but looking at the receipt printed at the petrol pump is enough to give most people a jolt.

With the prices of some forecourts changing day by day, it is important to keep an eye on the speed at which filling stations are increasing their prices.

Here is the comprehensive breakdown – including the total price of a 50-litre tank – for this week.

1st – BP (London Road): 189.9p per litre

Unsurprisingly, one of the oil giants, BP, sits at the top of the list. A full tank – or 50 litres’ worth of petrol – costs £94.95 here.

2nd – Esso (Bergholt Road) and Texaco (Mersea Road): 187.9p per litre

Close behind are two other major oil suppliers, Esso and Texaco. 50 litres of fuel at either of these filling stations costs £93.95.

4th – BP (Mersea Road): 186.9p per litre

Interestingly, the BP garage in Mersea Road is cheaper than the BP garage in London Road. A full tank here is £93.45.

5th – Texaco (Shrub End Road): 185.9p per litre

This Texaco filling station is slightly more affordable – the price here sits at £92.95 for 50 litres.

6th – Tesco (Highwoods and the Hythe): 184.9p per litre

Supermarkets often have cheaper fuel, so it is often a question of which supermarket is the cheapest. It isn’t Tesco this week – 50 litres of fuel here costs £92.45.

Gazette: Supermarket fuel is often cheaper than that sold by major oil companiesSupermarket fuel is often cheaper than that sold by major oil companies

7th – Asda (Turner Road): 184.7p p per litre

Asda is often one of the cheaper petrol stations in Colchester, and is the third cheapest this week. 50 litres here costs £92.35.

8th – Co-Op (Peartree Road): 183.9p per litre

Coming in at the second least expensive is the Co-Op petrol station in Peartree Road. A 50-litre tank costs £91.95 here.

9th – Sainsbury’s (Stanway): 182.9p per litre

The most affordable petrol station this week is the Sainsbury’s in Stanway. 50 litres here costs £91.45, which is £3.50 cheaper than the BP in London Road for what is ultimately the same product.

Gazette: Sainsbury's comes in as the most affordable this weekSainsbury's comes in as the most affordable this week

Prices are correct as of Friday, June 17.