Shocking number of Brits can’t afford to fuel their car regularly as average cost for a full tank rises to £75
Nearly a quarter of motorists spend more on fuel every month than they do on taking their family out
ONE in seven drivers put off going to the petrol station because fuel is too expensive.
A full medium-sized tank of petrol now costs £75, with diesel priced at £78 on average - but motorists can only afford to top up by just £31 at a time.
Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of Brits spend more on fuel every month than they do on going out with family and friends.
The shocking figures were released today by insurance broker , in a study highlighting what they call, petrol poverty.
A fifth of drivers also admit that the price of fuel is making it unaffordable for them to run a car.
Brits who earn between £5,001 and £10,000 - such as those who have part-time jobs or customer service employees - are spending up to 13 per cent of their salary on fuel.
Petrol has increased by 13.1p over the past year, reaching 131.5p/L this month - that's an 11 per cent rise compared to October 2017.
The cost of diesel jumped up by 15.6p over the same period - a 13 per cent increase year-on-year.
A large 65-litre car fuel tank would cost over £85 to fill with petrol and almost £89 for diesel.
Meanwhile, the top five most expensive areas for both petrol and diesel are Lerwick, Kirkwall, Outer Hebrides, East Central London and West London - according to Confused.com.
MORE FROM MOTORS
Amanda Stretton, Confused.com Motoring Editor, said: "Fuel prices have reached the most expensive on record, according to our fuel price index, and motorists are feeling the sting, particularly those on lower incomes.
"If prices continue to go up, motorists may be priced off the road. But at the moment, drivers are spending more money on fuel than they are on time with their loved ones, or even putting away money to save.
"It isn’t just inflated fuel prices motorists are facing. Car insurance prices have also started to creep up again, according to our latest car insurance price index data."