Diesel prices hit record levels; van drivers face up to £1,965 annual fuel bill

# What the report says

# Who is most affected Van owners and tradespeople are singled out because they typically drive more miles and rely on diesel for work. MoneySuperMarket's analysis estimates that a van driver who travels an average 8,107 miles a year could face an annual diesel bill close to £1,965 at the highest forecourt prices cited.

# What the analysts and sources say MoneySuperMarket provided the figures and commentary used in the report. Alicia Hempsted, a van insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, explained that rising pump prices combined with increased mileage push up running costs and can reduce profitability for tradespeople and small business owners.

MoneySuperMarket recommends practical steps such as using a fuel-cost calculator to track how price changes affect spending and checking the cheapest nearby stations using the government's FuelFinder scheme.

# Immediate practical steps for drivers

• Calculate your current and projected fuel spend using an online fuel-cost calculator to quantify the impact of higher pump prices.
• Use the government's FuelFinder dataset or similar price-comparison tools to identify cheaper local stations before filling up.
• For van operators and small businesses, factor rising fuel costs into job quotes, invoicing, or monthly budgets so margins aren't eroded unexpectedly.

# Context and related reporting Other outlets and industry bodies are reporting similar pressure on diesel prices, with warnings that a full 55-litre diesel fill-up for many family cars is approaching triple-digit pound sums and that national averages are near or at historical highs. Refining capacity, regional price differences, and wider market forces are referenced in related coverage as drivers of upward price movement.

# Bottom line