New Times,
New Thinking.

  1. Business
9 June 2022

Fuel prices are about to hit £2 a litre. What can the government do?

It could soon cost well over £100 to fill up the average car. Is there any policy that would help?

By Emma Haslett

In rural Denbighshire a care company has resorted to providing its nurses with electric scooters because they are struggling with the cost of driving to appointments. In Yorkshire a freight company says it is spending £20,000 a year to run each of its lorries. Local newspapers are offering tips on “hypermiling”, the practice of using as little fuel as possible. The fuel crisis is escalating – but is there anything the government can do about it?

According to the RAC it now costs £98 to fill up the average car with petrol, and more than £100 with diesel. The automotive services company said the cost of a litre of petrol rose from 177.88p on Sunday to 178.50p on Monday and this is unlikely to be the end of it; according to Simon Williams, the RAC’s spokesman, petrol prices will continue to rise over the summer. “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,” he says.

Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month
Content from our partners
Antimicrobial Resistance: Why urgent action is needed
The role and purpose of social housing continues to evolve
More than a landlord: A future of opportunity
Topics in this article : , ,