The price of filling up has climbed beyond £10 an imperial gallon at dozens of UK petrol stations for the first time, a new analysis has revealed.
Diesel has reached £2.20 a litre at as many as 150 forecourts, equivalent to around £10 for an imperial gallon.
The imperial gallon remains the traditional way of measuring fuel in Britain, and the figures suggest a record number of stations have now crossed the £10 threshold.
The latest surge is expected to intensify calls for Labour to scrap its planned Fuel Duty increase in the New Year, after average diesel prices passed £2 a litre last week to reach a new record.
The soaring cost of petrol and diesel comes as a major survey shows that more than half of drivers are cutting back on journeys because of high pump prices.
Six in 10 respondents said they had been “driving a lot less” since February, when the US launched war on Iran and fuel costs began to spiral. The jump in transport expenses has also contributed to wider inflation.
The impact is spreading beyond the forecourt. Almost seven in 10 people said they were reducing spending in other areas, while many explained that cutting journeys was impossible because their cars were a “lifeline” for commuting, school runs and medical appointments.
Diesel has climbed to £2.20 a litre at up to 150 stations, equal to £10 for an imperial gallon
Diesel has reached £10 a gallon, or £2.20 a litre, at several UK forecourts, including this station near Winchester
Chancellor John Healey is facing mounting pressure to scrap the planned Fuel Duty increase in the New Year
A survey of almost 10,000 people by the Petrol Prices website found that nearly nine in 10 supported either freezing or reducing Fuel Duty from January 1, when the current tax freeze is due to end.
The results will increase pressure on Chancellor John Healey to abandon the proposed rise when he delivers his first Budget later this month.
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said drivers who chose diesel for its fuel efficiency compared with petrol may now be reconsidering that decision as forecourt prices approach £10 an imperial gallon.
He said the impact would extend well beyond private motorists, warning that operators of vans, trucks and lorries still powered by diesel would face higher running costs that were likely to filter through to the wider economy.
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Mr Gooding said moving away from fossil fuels could offer a long-term solution, but added that businesses had to manage the immediate financial pressure facing their balance sheets. He said this should be firmly in the Chancellor’s mind when setting out the Budget.
Some haulage companies have seen their weekly diesel bills rise by hundreds of thousands of pounds. Much of that additional cost is ultimately passed on to shoppers through higher prices in supermarkets and other shops.
An RAC Foundation review of advertised forecourt prices found standard diesel selling for more than £2.20 a litre at almost 10 stations nationwide. A further 144 forecourts were charging up to 219.9p a litre.
Under the current timetable, Fuel Duty is set to increase by 3p a litre on January 1, followed by a further 2p rise on March 1.
The Treasury is also due to end the 16-year Fuel Duty freeze next year, adding another 1p a litre in April.
VAT would add a further 1.2p per litre, taking the total increase to 7.2p. That would add almost £4 to the cost of filling a typical family car with petrol.
Diesel prices have hit £10 a gallon – or £2.20 a litre – at several UK forecourts, including this one in Southampton
Some haulage firms have seen their weekly diesel fuel bills surge by hundreds of thousands of pounds, which is largely passed on to consumers via higher prices on supermarket and shop shelves
Treasury sources have said that ‘no decision’ has been taken on the Fuel Duty increases.
But retaining the 5p duty cut alone would cost the Treasury £2.4billion a year at a time when Mr Healey is struggling to balance the books.
According to RAC figures, average diesel prices across the UK were 200.17p yesterday and 174.91p for petrol.
A government spokesman said: ‘Since the outset of the war in Iran this government continues to protect the British people and businesses from this crisis.
‘This means drivers benefit from the extension of the 5p Fuel Duty cut, with diesel 11p per litre cheaper until the end of the year than it would have been compared to plans inherited from the previous government.’