# Van drivers face £2.5bn diesel bill as duty rise looms

> UK van operators will spend almost £8.5bn on diesel this year as global fuel shortage drives prices to record highs, prompting calls to scrap planned duty increases.
- Title: Van drivers face £2.5bn diesel bill as duty rise looms
- Summary: UK van operators will spend almost £8.5bn on diesel this year as global fuel shortage drives prices to record highs, prompting calls to scrap planned duty…
- Keywords: van drivers, diesel prices, fuel duty, road haulage association, uk transport, fuel costs, news, world, Van, drivers, face, 5bn
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/money/2026/oct/12/uk-van-drivers-diesel-costs-fuel-duty
- Published: 2026-10-12T06:00:49+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: van drivers, diesel prices, fuel duty, road haulage association, uk transport, fuel costs, news, world
## Eight point five billion pounds at the pump
UK van drivers will collectively spend almost eight point five billion pounds on diesel this year, up from five point nine five billion pounds last year, according to analysis for the Guardian.
## Average bill jumps to one thousand nine hundred sixty five pounds
The average fuel bill for a van driver could reach one thousand nine hundred sixty five pounds this year, up from one thousand two hundred ninety four pounds in twenty twenty five, based on typical…
## Global shortage drives prices above two pounds a litre
Diesel prices climbed above two pounds a litre for the first time this month, up over forty percent since late February, when the US-Israel war on Iran began disrupting supplies of crude and refined oil…
## Ninety five percent of vans still run on diesel
Although the adoption of electric vans has begun to increase, about ninety five percent of light commercial vehicles are still powered by diesel, leaving operators exposed to fuel price swings.
## Duty rise will add five pence per litre
The planned fuel duty increase, postponed from September, will add three pence a litre from first January and another two pence from first March. The Road Haulage Association called this a hammer blow for costs.

> a hammer blow
## Margins of two percent leave no room for rises
Richard Smith, the Road Haulage Association's managing director, said many members run on margins of around two percent.

> 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.
## Industry calls for fifteen pence per litre rebate
The Road Haulage Association is calling on the chancellor to bring in a fifteen pence a litre rebate for British van, coach and haulage operators, matching support offered by Spain, France and Italy.

> It's time we caught up
## Key takeaway

UK van drivers face an extra two point five billion pounds in diesel costs this year due to global fuel shortages, with industry groups calling on the government to scrap planned fuel duty rises.