- Published
The price of diesel has exceeded £2 a litre at hundreds of Scottish forecourts, according to analysis by BBC Scotland News.
uncertain
price → publish → News
Some of the highest prices can be found at garages in Scotland's islands, where fuel is 50p a litre more expensive than that sold at supermarkets in the central belt.
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fuel → find → belt
Hauliers have described the cost to their businesses as "devastating" and say it now costs £250 a week more to fill up a lorry.
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it → describe → lorry
Motoring organisation the RAC said it expected the UK average price of diesel to hit a new record high over the weekend.
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price → say → weekend
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war has pushed up the cost of crude oil, leading to higher fuel and energy costs.
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conflict → push → costs
The UK government said it continued to protect British people and business, and there would not be an increase in fuel duty this year.
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it → say → duty
Analysis by BBC Scotland News suggests there are at least 226 sites - stretching from the Borders to Shetland - where the price of a litre of diesel is greater than £2.
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price → suggest → 2
Some of the highest prices are in island and rural areas, including 238.8p and 223p in the Hebrides and 209.0p and 208.9p in the Northern Isles.
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Some → include → Isles
South Uist-based haulier Norman MacAskill said it cost 32p a litre to fill a lorry's tank when he started in the haulage business 40 years ago, but it was now £2.22.
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it → base → business
"Anyone who is running a lorry is absolutely devastated when they get their fuel bill at the end of the month. There's no business on earth that can withstand that increase in costs," he said.
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he → run → costs
MacAskill's haulage firm, N D MacAskill & Son, transports livestock around Inverness, Dingwall and Stirling but also further afield.
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firm → transport → Inverness
"We do a bit of livestock haulage from the north of Scotland down to the north of England," he said.
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he → do → England
"It's a devastating cost on a fuel run on that job," he said.
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he → say → job
MacAskill added: "This has been going on every year for the last 10 years now.
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This → add → years
The cost of running a haulage business has just gone over the top.
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cost → run → top
"There are dozens of haulage firms that have been established 50-60 years with big numbers of lorries going to the wall.
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numbers → be → wall
When is this going to stop?"
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this → go → ?
Dave Neil, who runs Sinclair Haulage which serves Sanday, Stronsay and Eday in Orkney, said his business was spending £400 a week more on diesel than it was before the summer.
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it → run → summer
"It's a challenging situation," he said.
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he → say → ?
Neil said he was forced to add an extra fee to his customers' costs.
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he → say → costs
"It's probably the fairest way," he said.
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he → say → ?
"When the fuel price drops we can take that surcharge away."
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we → drop → surcharge
'Diesel rebate'
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) said fuel was costing operators roughly £250 a week extra per vehicle.
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fuel → say → vehicle
It has called on the UK government to scrap any planned fuel duty rises in January, March and April and to introduce an essential user rebate for coaches, lorries and vans.
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It → call → coaches
Managing director Richard Smith said: "It's happening elsewhere.
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It → manage → ?
Spain, France and Italy already give commercial vehicle operators a diesel rebate.
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Spain → give → rebate
It's about time we caught up.
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we → catch → ?
National Farmers' Union Scotland said rising prices were another unwelcome cost for farmers and crofters.
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prices → say → farmers
A spokesperson said: "Fuel is a significant input cost for farm businesses and increases feed directly into the cost of producing food.
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Fuel → say → food
"With many farmers currently working through harvest and other intensive autumn operations, there is no scope to reduce fuel use."
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farmers → work → use
Crofter and musician Amy Henderson, from Kiltarlity, added: "It is just deflating.
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It → add → Kiltarlity
She said she was having to make "logistical decisions" around whether to use her car or truck.
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she → say → car
Henderson added: "I have to take it into consideration when quoting prices for performing."
Inverness-based charity New Start Highland uses vans to collect and deliver donated items, such as furniture, to people in need.
Chief executive James Dunbar said: "Rising fuel prices have a direct impact on us as a charity, as well as the individuals we support.
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we → add → charity
"Transport is core to our operations, from collecting and delivering furniture so those facing crisis and hardship can access essential items, to running our enterprise services like removals and house clearances."
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those → collect → removals
He said the charity was in the process of moving to a fully electrified fleet, but he said rising fuel costs directly affected the families it supported.
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it → say → families
The RAC said the average UK record price of diesel would "almost certainly" be surpassed over the weekend.
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price → say → weekend
Head of policy Simon Williams said: "The average UK price of diesel is teetering on the brink of a new all-time high at 198.32p, taking the cost of a 55-litre fill-up for a family car to £109.
"
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price → say → 109
The UK now has the most expensive diesel in Europe by 12p a litre - ahead of Finland and the Netherlands."
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UK → have → Finland
He added: "Petrol is now averaging 173.6p – its highest price in more than four years.
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Petrol → add → years
Petrol has risen nearly 12p in September and more than 40p since the Iran war began.
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war → rise → September
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
