The new 10 Downing Street policy unit is considering ways of bringing down costs at the stations – which average 7.5p higher than elsewhere for petrol and 8p for diesel.

The scheme is the first major idea from the unit since Boris Johnson’s brother Jo was brought in as its new chief.

Options now being considered include introducing a rule that prices have to be visible on the motorway, rather than just when drivers reach the forecourt.

Highways Agency signs showing distances to the next service station could be adapted to feature their current fuel rates.

Another possibility is to copy the French system, where stations are also required to publish prices at their two nearest rivals.

A Number 10 source said: “There is nothing more frustrating than pulling off the motorway to find a sky high petrol or diesel price.

“Giving people more information whilst they are still on the motorway will mean a greater choice about where they fill up, and should help drive down prices.

“We have acted already on energy prices, to ensure people get put on the lowest tariff, and we will look at other areas to see what more we can do.”

An Office of Fair Trading report earlier this year found motorway fuel prices, which currently only have to show their own prices, were far higher than other outlets.

Providers will not be forced to slash their prices under the changes but ministers believe greater transparency would encourage more fairness.

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The Energy Saving Trust says that if half the goods vehicle drivers in the UK lightened their vehicles by 75kg it would save around £50m on diesel each year, this would also result in 100,000 fewer tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

The figures are based on new research carried out by the Centre of Excellence for low carbon and fuel cell technologies – on behalf of the Energy Saving Trust, which for the first time models the impact of weight on fuel consumption using real-world driving conditions.

The research studied empty and fully loaded LGVs on typical urban and rural driving routes that accurately represent everyday driving conditions.

Under these conditions the research found that a typical car-derived van, will use around 26% less fuel when empty compared to when fully loaded and for panel vans such as the Peugeot Boxer, the difference in fuel consumption was up to 33%.

Energy Saving Trust senior knowledge manager Tim Anderson said: ‘Drivers often treat commercial vans as mobile store rooms for rarely needed equipment or parts, reducing the vehicle’s fuel economy. In addition, items such as unused roof racks add to air resistance, which increases fuel consumption.

‘Reducing the amount of additional weight in a vehicle will not only improve their fuel economy but it may also reveal that they have more space than they need.

‘As a result, businesses could consider downsizing their fleets and opting for smaller, more economical vehicles which better suit their company needs.’

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Research was presented to the treasury illustrating the impact of fuel duty on UK growth and the economy, amplifying the pressure on the government to axe the fuel duty hike scheduled for 1st January 2013. This information was presented in a face to face meeting organised by the FTA and the FairFuelUK Campaign.

James Hookham, FTA’s managing director – policy & communications said: “We have been able to get this issue to the heart of the political debate in Westminster and ensure the weight of public and business opinion is brought to bear on decisions about future tax rates. We hope and expect that George Osborne will not only cancel the increase, but will abandon any further rises before the next election, as it is clear that a precedent has been set and that similar debates and votes will take place ahead of all future planned increases. The Chancellor may as well give up on fuel duty increases as a bad job.”

In recent fuel saving news, Petrol Prices Down By Another 2p as supermarkets battle it out for Christmas trade

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Regulations that came into force yesterday now require tyres to be sold with efficiency labels similar to those displayed on electrical appliances. They indicate a tyre’s fuel economy and braking distance in the wet using a simple A to G.

An A grade tyre is expected to reduce fuel bills by up to nine per cent compared to the worst performing G-rated products, saving typical passenger cars up to £184 a year and vans up to £288.

Brussels expects consumers to buy greater numbers of fuel-saving tyres as a result of labels, leading to CO2 savings of between 1.5 million tonnes and four million tonnes a year by 2020 – equivalent to taking 500,000 to 1.3 million passenger cars from the roads each year.

Research by the Energy Saving Trust estimates UK businesses could make significant savings by switching the tyres on the estimated 3.9 million company vehicles on the country’s roads.

It says changing tyres on just 50 per cent of company cars from the least to the most efficient grade would lower fuel costs by up to £500m a year and reduce CO2 emissions by more than one million tonnes, as well as providing significant safety benefits.

“We welcome this new legislation and hope that fleet managers and leasing companies benefit from the substantial long-term savings they can make,” said Tim Anderson, senior knowledge manager at the Energy Saving Trust.

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A recent report, in The Telegraph newspaper, claimed that the average monthly motoring bill had increased by as much as £10. Initially, this might not sound like very much, but if a company hires several vans, this very quickly adds up. Over the space of a year, an entire fleet could be costing a company thousands in petrol alone, and that is before MOTs, road tax & van insurance.

For van drivers, especially those who are working as “self-employed”, this is particularly worrying. Many companies are looking for ways to reduce their costs, and often this including cutting down on the number of vans and of course van drivers that they use. The underlying problem is that even if van drivers attempt to cut down on the amount of fuel used, by doing less journeys, driving economically and organising delivery routes that are the most cost effective isn’t doing enough.

It is quite common, in the UK, for prices to hike at the beginning of the summer before the school’s break up. They will then, ordinarily, begin to reduce once summer is over. Whilst reductions do still occur, they are still not good enough.

Another issue that many van drivers must now contend with, as a direct result of price hikes on petrol is fuel theft. With rises going through the roof, the number of people who can no longer afford to run their vehicles has vastly increased, which has led to a subsequent increase in the number of fuel thefts. Unfortunately for their unwitting drivers, vans as well as lorries are the biggest targets for thieves. The question is why? There are a number of reasons, but the most popular assumptions are because vans and lorries tend to sit for long periods of time, or even that they contain larger amounts of fuel than most other vehicles

In other news,  Women’s car insurance premiums are to rise by 26%!

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Admiral Motor Insurance surveyed more than 3000 drivers this summer as part of its annual Survey of Motorists, and the results, announced today, revealed the British public thinks that they are being ripped off by the government. A further 42 per cent saying they would consider protesting publically about the cost of fuel.

More than 70 per cent even agreed they believe the Government is trying to price motorists off the road with duty and VAT.

Oil companies also came under fire from the public as 41 per cent blamed them for the cost of their fuel, while 25 per cent went for world affairs out of their control, and 20 per cent for petrol retailers.

Sue Longthorn, Admiral managing director, said: “The cost of fuel is certainly having an impact on the motoring public as over half have reduced the amount of driving they do due to the cost of fuel while two fifths have had to cut back on essential spending in order to be able to afford fuel.

“I’m sure no one wants to see a repeat of the scenes in recent years of petrol stations running dry and enormous queues,” she added.

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The survey revealed that 66.7% of the drivers asked were satisfied with the amount they were eligible to claim for. During 2011 the Government released guidelines on fuel mileage rates for business vehicles, with the objective to reduce the time spent on calculating fuel rates for both employer and employee alike.

According to the survey there is controversy surrounding the government guidelines, as employees have the possibility of losing out if the guideline rates are used too rigidly. The report shows that employees can be left financially out of pocket; warning employers that this may leave them susceptible to the danger of employees inflating their claims in order to make up their financial loss.

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Thousands of cars could be seen diverting away from the VIP-only “Games lanes” – fearing a £130 fine – as confusion spread about their operation.

The only Olympic lane to come into force today was on the M4 from Heathrow into central London, with the former M4 bus lane reserved for athletes and 2012 dignitaries.

A Transport for London spokesman said: “The M4 is flowing well today and central London traffic is down by 10 per cent, showing people have heeded our message not to drive in central London.”

But on main roads across the capital already painted with the Olympic rings logo, designating them as Games lanes, drivers were seen cutting into the middle lane — causing bottlenecks in the process.

This was happening on roads such as the A4 – while on the A40 Marylebone Road, the Games lane was empty of vehicles, causing congestion in the “normal” lane.

All Games lanes except that on the M4 remain open to all traffic until July 25 – two days before the opening ceremony – in a bid to minimise disruption to motorists.

Eltham MP Clive Efford called for leniency after raising the fines issue with Met Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe last week.

The police chief insisted there would be tough enforcement. “ People have to respect the lanes,” Mr Efford said. “But when the enforcement comes in, they [police] have got to look at the circumstances and if it’s a simple mistake, then I think they should look at it favourably.”

Some drivers said the lane system was so poorly signposted it was causing confusion and tailbacks, especially on access roads to the motorway.

Max Oppenheim, 40, a hedge fund manager from Chiswick, said: “I have been past it three times and only noticed the sign saying ‘ Olympic Lanes’ once.

“It is causing a bottleneck at the access after Hogarth roundabout, as when you come off, people are instantly cutting in from the right lane to avoid it.

“I effectively got T-boned. You can’t see it from a hundred yards back. There needs to be more clarity”.

However, Pedro Cintra, 40, who works for a media company, said: “ The road is fine, the Olympic Lane made no difference. The traffic was no worse than usual.”

Van driver Phil Roberts, 30, said: “The M4 was okay and the traffic was better than last week when it was closed. I wasn’t aware of the lane though and didn’t see the signs.”

The M4 lane can, in theory, operate between 5am and 10pm but will be activated based on demand.

It stretches along 3.5 miles of the eastbound M4 between junctions 3 and 2 —  the route of the former M4 bus lane which was abolished by the Coalition government. All other motorists are banned from the lane during operating hours but licensed taxi drivers are exempt.

Vehicles of 7.5 tonnes-plus are banned from the M4 link during ongoing repairs to the damaged Boston Manor flyover and are being diverted along the A4. But official Olympic coaches and buses are exempt from the ban.

Elsewhere in the capital jams have formed on roads as motorists avoid the lanes marked with the Olympic rings — even though most of the restrictions will not be activated until 6am on Wednesday 25 July.

Traffic has built up on an eastbound stretch of the North Circular near Wembley as three lanes of traffic converge into two. Motorists claimed a sign saying the Olympic lane was not in use was not clearly visible.

In other news, Stuck in a traffic jam for five and a half days !

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