Rising fuel prices will force 4 in 10 to cut other household spending

Almost half of motorists fear they will have to cut back on spending elsewhere in order to keep their cars fuelled as petrol and diesel prices continue to soar.

As diesel broke the £1.50 per litre barrier and petrol remained at record-high levels, 46% of drivers questioned by the RAC said they would be forced to cut household spending as a result of the increases.

A third of those polled by the motoring body said they were already driving less due to the rising costs at the pumps and a further quarter said they would be forced to do the same if prices continue to rise.

The RAC’s fuel spokesman Simon Williams said the continued increases at the pumps were having a “chilling” impact on households who relied on their cars and warned that worse could still be to come.

While just under a fifth of drivers questioned said they could turn to other means of transport such as cycling or walking, almost half (44%) said they were reliant on their car and would have to suffer the higher running costs.

Fuel prices have risen every month since the start of the year and after reaching record breaking levels in October have continued to climb. According to the latest RAC Fuel Watch data, petrol is now 146.6p per litre and diesel is 150.24p.