Rebecca Cook, from York, has monitored fuel prices for 16 years and says she is not yet ready to buy an electric vehicle. She has recorded diesel and petrol costs since 2010, a period in which fuel prices have risen sharply.
Earlier this week, diesel prices across the UK reached a record high, surpassing 199p per litre, according to the RAC. Petrol prices also continue to climb, now exceeding 174p per litre in some locations.
Spreadsheet records and daily commute
Rebecca's spreadsheet logs not only the fuel cost per litre but also the purchase date, quantity bought, and total expenditure. She drives to the tearoom she runs in Easingwold, about a 30-minute drive from her home.
Despite the rising costs, she said she will not switch to an electric vehicle because she has only recently bought a hybrid. She told the BBC that calculating refuelling costs for a zero-emission vehicle would be more difficult.
Rebecca said: "If you go full EV, how do you calculate? I guess there's a point to doing that, but I won't be for years as I've just bought a new car."
Record diesel prices and impact
Her records show a substantial rise in diesel costs, especially over the last 11 years. When she refuelled her Renault Scenic, a litre cost just 97p. Today, September 30, RAC figures show it costs as much as 199.53p in some areas, an increase of 51.39 per cent.
The RAC's policy chief, Simon Williams, said international developments such as the Russia-Ukraine War and the US-Iran War were severely affecting family finances. He said: "The average price of a litre of diesel has now reached the highest level in UK history at 199.18p, in what will be a financial blow to households and businesses that use their vehicles regularly."
He added: "The cost of filling up an average family car is now almost £110, £31 more than it was at the start of the US/Iran conflict. By eclipsing the previous highest price of 199.09p seen in June 2022, the diesel price has entered new uncharted territory."
Calls for government action
Mr Williams urged Andy Burnham's government to help British motorists, suggesting lowering fuel duty further or reducing VAT. He warned that another 5p per litre could be added to pump prices by Spring if the current fuel duty cut is fully reversed as planned.
Asked whether he would prevent a scheduled fuel duty increase later this year, Prime Minister Andy Burnham told BBC Breakfast: "I'm considering everything that might help people in very difficult times and I will be honest and say every possible measure is being looked at. The question I've got is, 'how many can I afford?'"
He added: "What can we do given the state of the public finances? And people wouldn't thank me for making unfunded payments that then cause pressure on mortgages – and we've seen that in the past and we're not going back there."
