Average commuter spends fifth of pay on driving to work
Commuters who drive to work may be skipping the crowded buses and train delays but they are reportedly spending a fifth of their net salary along the way.
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The average British worker drives 19 miles a day to get to and from work and with petrol prices soaring to record levels, the cost is considerable.
In fact, according to research by Virgin Media Business, driving commuters will need to work two months, seven days, seven hours and 10 minutes to cover the annual cost of their fuel bill... which means many will have spent everything they have earned so far this year on petrol.
Unrest in the Middle East has caused fuel prices to increase on an almost daily basis and the latest figures from the AA revealed that there has been "another milestone along the road to higher fuel prices" as the price per gallon broke through the £6 barrier for the first time.
In the last week alone, the price of petrol has risen by 1.68p at the pumps and experts fear the worst is yet to come.
Adrian Tink, motoring strategist for the RAC, told the Daily Mail: "Another day, another fuel price record. Now we see the average price of petrol hit the £6 a gallon barrier with no end in sight to the spiralling prices.
"It's time for the Government to act by cancelling the planned fuel duty rise of inflation plus 1p in April. Something has to be done to control the price of fuel before driving becomes solely the preserve of the rich."
But as Mark Heraghty, managing director of Virgin Media Business points out: "The thought of spending a fifth of your salary on commuting to work is enough to drive most people up the wall, but millions of us will be doing just that."
And if fuel prices continue to rise at the current rate, an even bigger chunk of your pay packet is likely to be spent at the petrol pumps.
What do you think? Should the government cancel the fuel duty rise this year? Leave a comment below...
