THOUSANDS of Scots have demanded government cuts in fuel duty as Scotland faces record high petrol prices with a typical tank of diesel now rising by nearly £14 in just over a year, the Herald can reveal.

Concerns have been raised as the price of fuel in some parts of Scotland is known to have reached £1.50 a litre.

Petrol prices have hit a record high across the UK in what the RAC has described as a "truly dark day for drivers".

It has emerged that the average daily price per litre in Scotland is approaching £1.40 a litre - nearly 30p a litre more than in the middle of last year.

The main reason for the rise in the jump in crude oil prices worldwide. In January the price of the benchmark Brent crude was just over $50 a barrel and in October it pushed over $86.

Analysis shows, however, that the UK has the second highest fuel prices in Europe with only Sweden having to pay more for a litre of diesel at £1.52 in September. Analysis by the RAC shows that Bulgaria has the cheapest fuel at just 0.96 a litre for diesel.

In the UK, tax accounts for 57% of the average retail price for a litre of petrol, according to the RAC.

It is estimated that if fuel duty was to increase in Wednesday's Budget in line with RPI Inflation of 4.8% then the levy would increase by 2.78p per litre from 50.95p to 60.73p - which excludes VAT or the price of the fuel itself.

The Herald:

The FairFuelUK campaign says that in the last three days more than 4000 supporters from north of the border have emailed the Chancellor and treasurers calling for a "significant cut" in fuel duty. Following a shock rise in National Insurance, the loss of the £20 uplift in Universal Credit, and rises in energy prices, the campaigners say any increase in fuel duty would be "economically irresponsible, unwarranted and a betrayal of newly won Tory converts outside of London and in poor public transport rural areas such as in Scotland".

Howard Cox, FairFuelUK founder said: "The last 12 months of eyewatering pump prices, seriously made worse by opportunistic fuel supply chain wholesalers, has given the Exchequer an unforeseen VAT windfall of more than £1bn.”

“The Treasury knows full well that cutting Fuel Duty stimulates the economy.

"They published a report in 2014 saying, 'cutting duty will increase GDP in the long-term, business profits, wages and consumption. And as such, all these positive fiscal stimuli will add to higher tax revenues'. In other words, cutting Fuel Duty is an economic stimulus!

The Herald:

"A punitive rise in Fuel Duty does nothing to help climate change either. So, Rishi, please don’t be conned by your urban based well paid special advisors, who see their fashionable green COP26 propaganda to justify a fuel tax hike, and to subsidise electric vehicle sales. Have the leadership courage and wisdom to help the world’s already highest taxed motorists, give them a break and cut Fuel Duty big.”

According to RAC analysis, the a typical 55 litre tank of diesel would have cost just over £63 in July, last year. At the end of September, it had risen to nearly £77. A tank of unleaded has gone from nearly £61 to nearly £75.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: "This is truly a dark day for drivers, and one which we hoped we wouldn't see again after the high prices of April 2012. This will hurt many household budgets and no doubt have knock-on implications for the wider economy."

The average daily price per litre across the UK hit a record 142.94p on Sunday according to RAC/Experian Catalist, which is separate from the weekly average record price reported by government.

The previous record was 142.48p in April 2012.

Diesel reached 146.50p a litre on Sunday - still 1.43p short of its April 2012 all-time high of 147.93p.

The price of unleaded has rocketed by 28p a litre from 114.5p in October 2020, adding £15 to the cost of filling up a 55-litre family car, according to RAC Fuel Watch.

Mr Williams added: "The big question now is: where will it stop and what price will petrol hit? If oil gets to $100 a barrel, we could very easily see the average price climb to 150p a litre.

The Herald:

"Even though many people aren't driving quite as much as they have in the past due to the pandemic, drivers tell us they are more reliant on their cars now than they have been in years, and many simply don't have a choice but to drive."

Brian Sloan, chief executive of Age Scotland said that the rising fuel prices are another "unwelcome squeeze on the finances" of the great numbers of older people who rely on their car.

Its research found that more than foour in 10 over 50s had not used public transport since the first lockdown and of those who had, 83 per cent were much more cautious using it.

Almost half of older people with a car in their household never use public transport.

Ten percent of over 50s don’t have a bus stop near them and 18 per cent have a bit of a walk to get there.

“Despite the free bus travel for over 60s, sadly, it is not a feasible option for everyone, especially if they have limited mobility. Older people have told us that unless you live in a city or modest size town then the bus network isn’t great and a car is relied upon more often than not," said Mr Sloan.

“This rise is likely to have a significant impact on those on low incomes or in rural areas, limiting their ability to get out and about and leading to greater isolation.”

US investment bank Goldman Sachs is among those to predict that Brent crude could reach $90 a barrel by the end of 2021, blaming a rebound in demand from Asia following pandemic re-openings.

Elsewhere, India and France are also among the countries to have seen record highs in recent days, although - like in the UK - their petrol prices are inflated by massive fuel taxes.

The AA said the high petrol prices could lead more drivers to consider switching to electric vehicles, with electricity prices as low as 4.5p per kWh off peak at home.