The amount of fuel purchased by motorists in the UK has fallen by 20 per cent in the past year, new research has revealed.
According to the International Energy Agency (IAE), a part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the findings indicate that rising fuel costs are forcing some drivers to leave their cars at home and take public transport instead.
The agency’s research also reveals that the drop in demand for petrol in Britain is greater than in other European nations, and that prices at UK forecourts continue to top those in other countries.
While the cost of unleaded petrol across Europe has increased by an average of 14 per cent over the past twelve months, prices in the UK have surged by 20 per cent during the same period.
Furthermore, prices in Italy and Germany have risen by less than 10 per cent since June 2007, according to the IEA figures.
