Fleets will have to pay an additional 4 pence per litre on fuel from September 2009 compared to pump prices at the end of March.

Prices at the forecourt had already increased by 2 pence per litre in April after the chancellor’s price hike announced in his pre-budget report was realised.

But now fleets face further increases after his budget speech today revealed fuel would be hit with a 2 pence per litre price hike from September and 1 pence per litre above inflation from April thereafter – an additional 4 pence per litre in only five months.

The Treasury has announced that it expects the increases to result in an additional £600 million in tax take this year and £1,750 million in 2011.