Warnings are being sounded as the cost of filling up at the pumps rises once more, with prices per litre reaching £1.85.2p for Diesel and £1.78.5p for Unleaded at some pumps.

RAC spokesman Simon Williams warned that prices could breach £2 per litre in the not too distant future. 

The cost per barrel of oil has risen due to increased demand on the back of the war in Ukraine which has led to prices spiralling at the pumps as EU countries dependent on Russian Oil deal with the impact of sanctions levied on the country.

Although the UK itself only purchases approximately 5% of its oil supplies from Russia, demand upon other sources by EU states has lead to price increases.

Simon said: 

Quote

 

“The cost of filling a 55-litre family car with petrol has now topped £98 for the first time in history as a result of a litre hitting a new all-time high of 178.5p on Monday. Diesel also rose to yet another record by reaching 185.2p which takes the cost of a tank to £101.86.

“With analysts predicting that oil will average $135 a barrel for the rest of this year drivers need to brace themselves for average fuel prices rocketing to £2 a litre which would mean a fill-up would rise to an unbelievable £110.

“The oil price is rising due to increased demand for fuel across the world as China eases its Covid restrictions and America and Europe go into the peak summer driving season. All this combined with a weaker pound at $1.2 means wholesale fuel costs more for retailers to buy. The wholesale price of diesel is fast approaching 160p a litre which, when you add 7p retailer margin and 20% VAT, would take the pump price over the £2 mark.

“We strongly urge the Government to take drastic action to help soften the impact for drivers from these never-before-seen pump prices.”

 

Electric vehicles have more than doubled in the North of England, revealed through new figures released today (24 May), as the Government’s drive towards cleaner, affordable travel boosts tens of thousands of green jobs across the UK. 

New statistics show the UK’s transport revolution is well underway, with electric vehicle (EV) registration numbers in the North of England rising to 74,677 in 2021. 

More than a quarter of a million EVs now travel on UK roads and sales of plug-in vehicles have reached all-time highs, with 327,000 registered last year alone - a 77% rise compared to 2020.  

The statistics were released by the Department for Transport today, ahead of the Transport Secretary meeting with Northern leaders and Mayors this afternoon, as part of the Northern Transport Acceleration Council, to discuss green transport innovation and the Government’s mission to build strong infrastructure, transport links and economic growth in regions across the nation.  

The Secretary of State will discuss the Government’s recently published Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, backed by £1.6 billion funding, to boost on-street EV charging by tenfold and eradicate so-called “range anxiety” across the UK.  

By 2030, the UK expects to reach 300,000 public electric vehicle charge-points by 2030 – equivalent to almost five times the number of fuel pumps on our roads today.  

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Quote

 

“With a £2.5 billion cash injection, the UK continues to be a global front-runner in the switch to electric vehicles – helping drivers to save money on fuel, while moving towards our net zero targets.   

“I’m pleased to be meeting with colleagues today to ensure the North of England has the support it needs for an emission-free transport future, as we clean up our air and support green jobs across the nation.”  

 

During the meeting, the Transport Secretary is expected to highlight the UK’s world leading progress in the switch to EVs to date, with around 600 new public charge-points installed each month and one of the most extensive networks of rapid charging in Europe.  

The Transport Secretary will also reaffirm the Government’s commitment to ensuring all regions are equipped to go electric and nowhere is left behind, with £500 million recently pledged to transform local on-street charging and boost reliability.  

Not only is the UK’s move towards emission free transport supporting up to 40,000 new automotive jobs, but it’s cleaning up the country’s air with average CO2 emissions for cars decreasing by 11% last year.  

In the drive to net zero transport, the Government has committed to phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, ensuring all drivers benefit from EVs and their significantly lower running and refuelling costs.  

This ambition, combined with billions of pounds of support from the industry, will cement the UK’s leading position in the design, manufacture and use of zero emission vehicles, which are providing new economic opportunities by boosting employment, investment and exports

The average price of diesel at Britain's pumps has sky rocketed above £1.80-a-litre for the first time on record and the misery for diesel drivers is only going to get worse with the fuel set to keep climbing closer to £2.

The UK average price for a litre of diesel has hit 180.29p according to both the RAC & AA, which surpasses the previous record of 179.90p set on 23 March, before Rishi Sunak introduced the 5p fuel duty cut to ease skyrocketing forecourt prices.

Petrol is also on the rise, hitting 166.65p, which is less than a penny below the record for unleaded - 167.30p set on 22 March.

Warnings have been sounded by the AA and RAC who have told drivers to brace themselves for even more pain at the pumps with further rises expected over the coming weeks, with the cost of fuel set to add more strain on finances and pile more pressure on families struggling in the cost of living crisis.

The RAC said then the cut was "a drop in the ocean" and now claimed drivers would be better off if had Mr Sunak reduced VAT on fuel.

"Had Mr Sunak reduced VAT to 15% as we called on him to do instead of cutting duty by 5p, drivers of diesel vehicles would be around 2p a litre better off, or £1 for every full tank," Mr Williams said.

"As it is, drivers are still paying 27p VAT on petrol and 29p on diesel, which is just the same as before the Spring Statement."

Although the UK does not rely on a huge amount of oil from Russia, the global shortages have had an adverse knock on effect which is hitting people in the UK hard in the pocket.

The repercussions of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are causing rapid increases in the cost of fuel across the UK. Against a wider backdrop of high inflation, many people are seeking to save cash as the cost of living soars. Prices threaten to reach all time highs of £2 per litre, leaving many wondering if they’ll soon be able to afford to use their cars at all. Mobilityways, a certified social enterprise, believes Zero Carbon Commuting to be the answer.

Quote

"The cost of relying on this type of fuel is more than financial, with serious implications for the future of our planet."

Categorised as Scope 3 emissions, commuting emissions account for 5% of the UK’s total emissions - 18 billion kg of CO2e annually. Data from the Mobilityways Platform, which has analysed 532,214 individual employee commutes, revealed that 95% of commuters in the UK them had at least one viable sustainable commuting option available to them.

Results from the sample, which was taken from over 350 large employers, revealed that 40% of employees were close enough to walk or cycle to work, 53% of employees had an accessible public transport route available to them and 91% of employees could share a lift with a colleague. This data shows how our habitual reliance on single occupancy vehicles is both misplaced and unnecessary.

The Department for Transport’s Decarbonisation Plan outlined that “walking and cycling should be natural first choice for short journeys”, with active travel offering a host of benefits to individuals and the environment. This includes improved physical health, mental wellbeing and travel cost savings in addition to reduced congestion and the associated air pollution and a fall in GHG emissions. The DfT also sets out that reducing single occupancy commuting journeys by just 10% would save 500,000 tonnes of CO2e a year.

“Zero Carbon Commuting is the natural solution to rising fuel costs – which are a symptom of our over reliance on fossil fuels. We must decarbonise the commute if we hope to protect ourselves from the impacts of climate change. If more people choose to walk, cycle, utilise public transport and Liftshare we can reduce and eventually eliminate the need for expensive and polluting fossil fuels. The cost of relying on this type of fuel is more than financial, with serious implications for the future of our planet. These price increases just aren’t sustainable for the majority of us and it’s a serious wake-up call that we need to change our commuting behaviour’s before it’s too late.”
Ali Clabburn, Chairman of Mobilityways.

Over half of all commuting trips are made by car in England alone, generating 11m tonnes of CO2 emissions every day. 90% of these emissions come from cars, many of whom are driven alone, highlighting car usage as the largest emissions challenge to be addressed. There are 47m empty seats on our roads every rush hour. Sharing a car journey is twice as efficient and half as expensive than driving alone and can save sharers thousands of pounds in fuels costs every year.

Quote

 

“Employers are going to be key in facilitating Zero Carbon Commuting for their teams, particularly now so many organisations have returned their teams to the office at least part of the week. Fuel poverty is a huge barrier to making those plans a reality” said Ali, who established car share platform, Liftshare.com, which now has over 700,000 members.

“Car share communities are a huge well of untapped potential for so many employers – over 700 of our corporate clients have experienced huge successes, collectively saving over 1 billion miles. The pandemic has shown we have the propensity for change. It’s time for us to commute back better.”

 

The RAC has warned drivers over the soaring cost of fuel after both petrol and diesel prices hit historic highs at the forecourt.

According to the roadside breakdown and assistance company, petrol hit £1.51 per litre and diesel rose to a staggering £1.54 with further rises expected due to concerns over restrictions on the back of the crisis in Ukraine.

A year ago, the average petrol price stood at 122.50p a litre, while diesel was at 125.99p.

Globally Russia is the second largest exporter of crude oil after Saudi Arabia and there are valid concerns that sanctions will cause a dramatic rise in global prices per barrel.

The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil soared to as much as 106.61 US dollars on Thursday, its highest level in nearly eight years.

With average fuel prices at UK forecourts at record highs, there are fears motorists could be hit even harder in the pocket as retailers pass on the latest rises in wholesale costs.

If the oil price was to increase to 110 US dollars, there’s a very real danger the average price of petrol would hit over £1.55 a litre.

This would cause untold financial difficulties for many people who depend on their cars for getting to work and running their lives as it would skyrocket the cost of a full tank to £85.

The rising cos of fuel looks to be an added misery to families who are facing huge hikes in Gas and Electric prices from April after regulator OfGem removed the price cap.