Petrol is up to an average €1.44 a litre

Increased by 6% in seven months

SPAIN (Agencies) Filling the average car tank now costs €5 more than it did a year ago, which, with the cost to the consumer of medical co-payments, has run up the inflation rate to 2.2% for the year so far. The price of petrol has risen by about 10% since this time last year. It is also true that the oil companies 'traditionally' raise their prices in Spain at the beginning of the summer period (surely a mere coincidence), usually in August. Prices fell since April, when they averaged and often exceeded €1.50 per litre, to come down to €1.40 at the end of June. Still, petrol in Spain is cheaper than the average for the 27 European member States, which is €1.633  litre, or 1.653 in the Eurozone. Fuel costs are partly due to crude oil having risen to 113 dollars per barrel, double its price in 2004.