Four out of five motorists want the Chancellor to cut duty or VAT on fuel, a new survey suggests. An RAC poll of 2,000 drivers questioned between Friday and Monday indicated that 83% want Rishi Sunak to help reduce the impact of record pump prices in Wednesday’s spring statement.
Some 41% of those polled said they are driving less due to the cost of filling up, while 25% said they are being forced to cut spending on other items because of pump prices. Figures from data firm Experian Catalist show the average cost of a litre of petrol at UK forecourts on Monday was 166.6p, while diesel was 178.7p.
Oil prices surged immediately after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but declined earlier this month, leading to a cut in wholesale costs for fuel retailers. Fuel duty is currently levied at 57.95p per litre for petrol and diesel, with VAT at 20% charged on top of the total price.
