Unleaded up 6%, diesel up 9% year-on-year

The latest fuel price report from the Department of Energy and Climate Change shows the cost per litre at the pump is up since this time a year ago, in spite of falling fuel duty.

At 57.95p per litre, the current rate of duty for unleaded and diesel is down by a penny compared with the week of January 3rd 2011.

However, VAT rose from 17.5% to 20% on January 4th 2011, causing an immediate increase in prices of around 2%.

Unleaded petrol hit a high of 137.05p per litre on May 9th 2011, up almost 10% from the start of the year, and has since settled to 132.40p, an annual increase of roughly 6%.

Meanwhile, diesel's peak price was 143.06p, also in the week of May 9th, but at 140.84p per litre it is now more than 9% more expensive than in January 2011.

Rising costs for both fuels highlight the importance of fuel efficiency, not just for each vehicle in a fleet, but for the fleet as a whole.

Ensuring vehicles do not make unnecessary journeys - and are fully loaded with goods whenever possible - can help to cut down on wasted fuel, and maximise profits for those in the haulage industry or with goods to transport.

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