Petrol key to 'surprise' recovery

Anna Gowthorpe/PA Archive/Press Association Images

Lower petrol prices helped to fuel a "surprise" recovery in the nation's savings this summer, with balances reaching their highest in two years, a study has revealed.

The typical balance for ordinary Britons rose by 9.8%, or £182, in the second quarter of this year to reach £2,040, marking the third quarterly increase in a row, said the ING Direct consumer savings monitor.