~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~21~RS~)
Drivers cut petrol use by 15%, AA research suggests
The fall in petrol sales cost the Treasury nearly £1bn over the six months to June, the AA reckoned
Drivers have cut their petrol consumption by more than 15% since the credit crunch and the recession.
The AA has calculated that petrol sales in the first six months of 2011 were 1.7bn litres less than in the same period three years ago.
The AA says the drop in petrol sales is a direct result of record fuel prices.
Many drivers are struggling to make ends meet in any case, so the high cost of petrol leaves them with no option but to try to use less.
And businesses have been cutting back as well.
The cut in fuel purchases, comparing the first six months of this year with pre-recession levels, is equivalent to 40,000 delivery rounds by fully-laden petrol tankers.
One result has been lower emissions of potentially damaging exhaust fumes.
Another, says the AA, is that the fall in sales has deprived the Treasury of nearly £1bn in fuel duty between January and June this year.
Supermarkets have tried to attract drivers looking for bargain fuel, but hundreds of other petrol stations have gone out of business.
However, Tesco reported on Wednesday that high petrol prices had hit people's spending power so far this year.
How to get a job in... guides
'Not enough focus on manufacturing'
Greece 'meets bailout conditions'
Envoy Annan to hold Syria talks
Life through a lens
Glitz and technocrats
The week in tweets
10 things 
Small is beautiful
Click
Comment number 119.
Megan5th October 2011 - 14:57
I have cut my petrol use by considerably more: having been made 'redundant' I no longer have to get to work.
Once I find a job, it's likely that it will rise again. My driving style is fuel-efficient anyway, it's the distance I have to travel that changes with circumstances.
Link to this (Comment number 119)
Comment number 118.
Commentbot5th October 2011 - 14:56
The good side effects such as reduced fuel consumption and reduced pollution still doesn't address the problem of affording fuel for those who need it for their job, for picking weens up from school, for going to social clubs, etc. Going on about the Green benefits is very one-sided and ignores the very real challenges for everyday living that higher fuel prices cause.
Link to this (Comment number 118)
Comment number 108.
exrugbyman5th October 2011 - 14:24
The reduction in vehicles is very evident on the A1.
I travel for work from Doncaster to Peterborough about twice per week, and the volume of traffic has reduced significantly over the last 12/15 months.
Many cars have also slowed down - preserving the fuel consumption, and increasing safety. This combination comes as a relief for me as I used to dread the journey and now enjoy the travel.
Link to this (Comment number 108)
Comment number 102.
Total Mass Retain5th October 2011 - 13:50
Why does anyone think it a problem if we have reduced fuel consumption? That's the purpose of increasing the tax on fuel, right, and if the world price increases demand falls when prices rise.
The argument the treasury is losing tax revenue implies we should all take up smoking to increase tobacco taxes.
Link to this (Comment number 102)
Comment number 95.
milvusvestal5th October 2011 - 13:33
I wish I could see some evidence of this. Motorists are still tearing here and there with foot jammed on the accelerator pedal or brakes, and most cars on the commuter routes have a single occupant. They sit for many minutes at road works and level crossings, engines running all the time. If they can afford to use fuel so freely, neither the recession nor fuel prices are having any impact.
Link to this (Comment number 95)
Comments 5 of 14