00:01The rising cost of diesel is putting pressure on charities and businesses across the North
00:05East, with some warning that higher fuel bills could threaten their future plans and services.
00:10The average UK diesel price has risen above £2 a litre for the first time, according to the RAC.
00:16Newcastle-based cancer charity Daft as a Brush says it's now spending £15,000 a month on diesel,
00:20that's £5,000 more than at the same point last year. The charity transports cancer patients to
00:25hospital appointments and its 30 vans cover around 600,000 miles every year. It had planned to
00:30replace its diesel fleet with electric vehicles but says rising fuel costs are absorbing money
00:34that would have helped pay for the change. They say the extra spending is coming from money raised
00:39through donations and it doesn't receive a fuel discount. The charity says the pressure is holding
00:43back their growth and development. In Middlesbrough, Teesside Minibus High is also feeling the impact
00:49with their director Billy Johnson saying contracts with schools and buses can last several years
00:53based on fuel prices at the time they're agreed. That makes sudden increases difficult to absorb.
00:59The company has raised prices for some customers but says people are already struggling with
01:03inflation and might not accept higher charges. They say some customers are turning to cheaper
01:07unlicensed operators and warn that if fuel prices remain high over the longer term, they might not
01:12survive. The wider disruption to oil production and transport linked to the war in Iran has pushed
01:18energy prices higher around the world. The UK government has extended the fuel duty freeze until the end of the
01:23year, keeping the tax 5p per litre lower than it otherwise would.
