Opinion: Temporary fuel duty freeze is welcome relief for drivers and businesses in Yorkshire and North West
Commenting on the Chancellor’s decision to freeze fuel duty until next September, Lisa Bennett, Managing Director of Calderdale-based Craggs Energy, said:
“Today’s extension of the 5p tax freeze on fuel duty will come as welcome news to the many hauliers, agricultural contractors, farmers operating agricultural equipment, and companies running fleets of vehicles that we deliver to in Yorkshire and the North West.
“For families in rural areas, it will make a meaningful difference to the cost of travelling to work, going to the shop and dropping children off on the school run. Overall, it will help to keep more money in the pockets of drivers, especially those that travel any distance on a regular basis.
“We also welcome the Government’s incremental approach to the planned duty increase, which will replace the 5p duty freeze. We now know that those increases will be 1p on 01 September 2026, 2p on 01 December 2026, and 2p on 01 March 2027. Following this the government also plans to uprate fuel duty by the Retail Prices Index from April 2027.
“Providing plenty of notice helps businesses plan with greater confidence during what is a challenging economic period.”
www.craggsenergy.co.uk