The Mail on Sunday documents what we all know from our empty wallets:
British diesel tax is highest in Europe
By Andrew Baxter and Martin Delgado
Last updated at 3:01 AM on 08th November 2009British motorists pay more tax on diesel than drivers in any other European Union country, according to Government figures which also reveal that we pay at least 12p a litre more than other nations.
Fuel duty and VAT account for 66 per cent of the pump price, says the Department of Energy and Climate Change. In some EU countries, these taxes make up only 42 per cent of the price.
The overall cost of diesel is also highest in the UK, with the average price of a litre 106.6p, of which 70.1p goes on tax and duty.
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The Department of Energy report says the average price of a litre of diesel in the UK in September was 106.6p. This compares with 73.5p in Bulgaria, the lowest in the EU. Motorists in France pay on average 89.2p, of which 52.2p goes on tax. Germans pay 94p, of which 56.4p goes on tax. Figures for other EU states are: Denmark, 93.5p (52.4p tax); Ireland, 92.4p (52p); and Spain, 82.4p (41.3p).
Typically, the Mail on Sunday does not bother to quote the name of the report, or to provide an online URL link to it.
Various statistics on fuel prices are published by the misnamed Department of Energy and Climate Change:
Energy statistics: prices, where you "can download annual, quarterly, monthly and weekly statistics in Microsoft Excel 2000 format"
The Weekly Fuel Prices Table (.xls) is updated each Tuesday at 9.30 am.
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Unleaded petrol is also at its highest price for 2009, according to the AA. The average at the end of October was 107.14p a litre, beating the previous high of 107.03p.
Remember that this scandalous taxation regime is with the temporary 15% VAT rate,
Things will be even worse when VAT goes back up to 17.5% (or even higher) in less than 2 months time
And prices is always high in Britain...