'The budget was an opportunity to make sustainable fuels such as HVO more competitive'
The Government has 'missed a trick' on fuel duty following its autumn budget announcement, Certas Energy says.
Fuel duty will be frozen for at least another year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed in the highly-anticipated budget.
As the largest fuel distributor in the UK, Certas Energy says there will be a sense the relief that customers are feeling - especially the firms that have fleets out on the road every day.
But Bryan Main, Managing Director of Mobility at at the firm, says that the Government has missed a trick by not mentioning HVO.
“While companies running HGV fleets can’t easily switch to electric to avoid the cost and emissions of diesel, they can use HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil)," he explains.
"[This is] a drop-in alternative to diesel that reduces emissions by up to 90% compared to standard diesel and can be used without any modification to the vehicle.
“Many of our customers want to use HVO to lower their emissions but find the current price premium a challenge.
"The budget was an opportunity to make sustainable fuels such as HVO more competitive, by lowering fuel duty on them.
"It could have had a big impact on the UK’s green transition, decarbonising road transport faster and more smoothly.
"I think that opportunity has been missed," Mr Main says.