The AA has urged Prime Minister Andy Burnham to take immediate action and introduce a new update for petrol and diesel owners.
Andy Burnham is coming under pressure to introduce fuel duty changes (Image: Getty)
AA bosses have told Andy Burnham to consider a major new rule change that could cut costs for petrol and diesel owners by as much as £6.60. AA President Edmund King has called on the Prime Minister to go further and cut fuel duty fees by an extra 5p per litre. The legal default is for the Conservatives’ 5p cut on fuel duty to be reversed next year, with the first 3p rise coming in January.
However, the AA has warned that the move would put further pressure on drivers at a time when pump prices have already increased. AA bosses therefore want to see the existing 5p reduction maintained and an additional 5p-per-litre cut introduced to help cash-strapped road users.
The additional 5p reduction would equate to around 6p per litre at the pump once VAT is included. Mr King stressed that an additional fuel duty cut would therefore allow road users to save as much as £6.60 every time they topped up.
He said: “Drivers need the Chancellor to put the brakes on rising fuel costs. The first step must be keeping the existing 5p fuel duty cut, but with prices rising we believe the Chancellor should go further and cut another 5p.
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“If passed on in full, that additional cut would take around 6p off a litre at the pump and save around £3.30 when filling a typical family car. Allowing the existing cut to disappear would take drivers in precisely the wrong direction. Compared with that outcome, keeping the 5p reduction and going 5p further could make a difference of around £6.60 on a tank.”
The AA is not alone in demanding immediate action. Howard Cox, founder of campaign group FairFuelUK has also called for an emergency 10p cut on fuel duty costs.
Fuel prices are continuing to cause a headache for road users (Image: Getty)
FairFuel warned drivers were being “hammered” at the pumps, and accused the Labour Government of “doing nothing” to help road users.
Earlier this week, the PM also came under fire for introducing fuel price data on Google Maps instead of cutting costs.
However, in his response, Mr Burnham didn’t categorically rule out further action later down the line, with a fuel duty decision likely to be expected at John Healey’s Autumn Budget later this month.
Mr Burnham posted on X: “Together, these changes add up, and no matter how small it may seem, I will pull every single lever I can to help people, whenever I can.”