Millions of British van drivers are facing a combined £2.5bn in additional diesel costs this year, according to new figures, as pressure grows on the government to scrap a planned rise in fuel duty.
Analysis compiled for the Guardian by analysts at Moneysupermarket estimates that the owners of diesel vans and pickups will spend nearly £8.5bn at the pump this year, well above the £5.95bn spent last year.
The higher costs follow a climb in diesel prices to record levels, driven by a global fuel shortage caused by disruption to refineries in the Middle East and Russia. The comparison site warned last week that the average fuel bill for a van driver could reach £1,965 this year, compared with £1,294 for an average van in 2025, based on typical mileage and fuel consumption.
There are concerns that the price of food and other goods moved by road could rise sharply as retailers pass on higher logistics costs.
The number of vans on British roads has risen significantly in recent years, boosted by the growth of online shopping, home deliveries and a rising number of self-employed people working in trades. Although electric van uptake has begun to increase, about 95% of light commercial vehicles still run on diesel.
The average pump price climbed above £2 a litre for the first time this month, up by more than 40% since late February, when the US-Israel war on Iran began disrupting supplies of crude and refined oil products from the Gulf and pushed costs up across the economy.
The growing cost burden has led to calls for government help in the upcoming budget, including the abandonment of plans to raise fuel duty from next year. The increase, postponed from September, will add 3p a litre in duty from 1 January and a further 2p from 1 March.
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) described the planned rises as a hammer blow for companies. Richard Smith, the association’s managing director, said: “Many of our members run on margins of around 2%. Surging diesel prices are impacting firms across the country, with some spending many thousands extra every week on fuel. Adding [fuel duty rises] on top of today’s fuel prices would be a hammer blow for many firms that move goods and the households that buy them. A fuel duty hike is a food price hike.”
Data from the motoring group RAC showed that, despite a recent dip in the cost of diesel, the price remains about 57p a litre higher than before the US-Iran conflict, while petrol is 42p higher. The group said households are paying £31 and £23 more respectively each time they fill up a family-sized car.
Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, said the fuel duty rise “will only make prices at the pump even more expensive”. He said: “As things stand, this year is still set to be the second most expensive year on record for drivers. The government has the power to take some of the sting out of higher fuel costs, either by extending and increasing the fuel duty cut or reducing VAT as they’ve done with domestic electricity.”
Smith added that the RHA was calling on the chancellor to introduce a 15p a litre rebate for British van, coach and haulage operators, after Spain, France and Italy offered similar support to commercial vehicle businesses. “It’s time we caught up,” he said.
On Friday, the US president, Donald Trump, attempted to ease pressure at the pump for US drivers by announcing a deal, in a move which infuriated the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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