Fuel duty increase 'will cost drivers £1bn'

27/08/2009

The 2 pence increase in fuel duty due to come into effect next week will force Britain's drivers to spend an extra £36 million on petrol during September alone - and a total of £1 billion in additional charges by September 2011.

Figures from uSwitch.com indicate that the tax increase will take the average cost of filling up a 45-litre fuel tank will climb to £62 next month, an increase of 26 per cent since 2007.

The comparison service said motorists also face a "double whammy" on fuel prices, as experts believe the cost of petrol could rise by an additional 3 pence per litre during August because of higher oil and wholesale prices.

Mark Monteriro, uSwitch.com's insurance expert, said petrol prices have soared by 15.6 per cent in the past six months, adding "insult to injury" for drivers during the recession.

"As chancellor Alistair Darling comes under increasing pressure to scrap next week's fuel duty increase, the outlook for drivers remains bleak," he commented.

Meanwhile, the AA has predicted that this weekend will see the busiest traffic levels of the year, with congestion expected to rise by around one-third during the August bank holiday.

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