Fuel duty rise follows petrol price increase

Petrol prices have risen by 2p a litre (9p a gallon) in the past two months, figures reveal today.

The rise comes ahead of Treasury plans to introduce fuel duty deferred from April's Budget, with businesses expected to be hit especially hard, analysts said.

Next week Chancellor Gordon Brown will put up duty by 1.28p a litre (5.8p per gallon) because the international situation has "improved" since the Iraq war sent oil prices soaring. But research suggests that since July - when petrol bottomed out at 74.6p a litre (£3.39 per gallon) - prices have risen by almost 2p per litre.

Today, fuel management firm Arval PHH said rising prices had already put extra pressure on business. Spokesman Danny Clenaghan said: "A firm with a fleet of 100 cars, each doing 10,000 miles a year, could see its annual fuel bill rising by around £150,000."