Rising petrol and diesel prices are putting pressure on household budgets, with energy bills and food prices also now at multi-year highs. The RAC motoring group called it "a truly dark day" as the cost of filling a 55-litre tank reached £100.27 for petrol and £103.43 for diesel. The RAC and the AA urged the chancellor to cut VAT on fuel or to reduce fuel duty further.
The Treasury said it had provided £37bn to ease the cost of living already. Fuel prices began to soar after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February led to oil supply fears. However, there are concerns that petrol retailers are not passing on a recent 5p cut in fuel duty to consumers.
According to the RAC, the average pump price of a litre of unleaded petrol is now 182.31p while for diesel it is 188.05p. However, the motoring group has warned this could rise to over £2 a litre soon.
RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: "While fuel prices have been setting new records on a daily basis, households never have expected to see the cost of filling an average-sized family car reach three figures. "A further duty cut or a temporary reduction in VAT would go a long way towards helping drivers, especially those on lower incomes who have no choice other than to drive."
The AA called on the government to cut fuel duty by 10p per litre immediately and introduce a "fuel price stabiliser", which would reduce fuel duty when petrol prices go up and increase it when they drop.
