North East charities and businesses struggle with rising diesel costs
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Charities and businesses across the North East face fuel challenges
Two hours ago
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By Tom MacDougall, North East and Cumbria, Mark Denten, North East and Cumbria correspondent, and Amy Oakden, BBC Radio Tees
Mark Denten/BBC
Cancer charity Daft as a Brush's Scott Jobson said funds raised by donations are being lost at the pump.
Charities and businesses across the North East are grappling with the rising cost of diesel. The average price of diesel in the UK has surpassed £2 per litre for the first time, according to the RAC motoring group. Over the past seven months, the Iran war has severely disrupted oil production and transportation in the region, leading to global price increases.
Daft as a Brush, a North East cancer charity, shared its struggle: they spend £15,000 per month on diesel, a £5,000 increase from last year. With 30 vans driving 600,000 miles annually, they previously planned to transition to electric vehicles but are now unable to afford the cost at the pump.
Volunteer driver Davey Hall illustrated the extent of the increase: "Before the big hikes, we used to maybe fill up and it would take £40-45. Last week, it was £94 to fill the tank from half full."
Head of income generation Scott Jobson explained the financial impact: "The money is being taken from funds raised by donations, and we're not eligible for any discounts at the pump."
In Middlesbrough, Teesside Minibus Hire director Billy Johnson echoed these concerns. They often sign long-term contracts with schools and businesses based on historical fuel costs, making it difficult to absorb the recent increases. While they are passing the cost on to customers, rising inflation makes it a challenging proposition.
Johnson cautioned, "Long term, probably not [survive if fuel prices don't drop]."
In May, the government announced an extension of a fuel duty freeze until the end of the year, capping tax at 5p per litre for petrol and diesel.