RAC welcomes the announcement by Tesco that it is cutting 3p off a litre of fuel.

RAC technical director David Bizley said: “Every penny off fuel makes a difference for motorists – but what we need now is for other retailers to follow their lead. Our members are telling us that the price of fuel is having a negative impact on their lives as they are cutting social and family journeys in an effort to save money.

“This will help make it a little more affordable for families to travel to spend time together this Christmas. What would really make this festive period special would be for the Chancellor to announce next Wednesday that he is scrapping the 3p duty rise planned for next January.

“In particular people living in rural areas are at their wits end – they are telling us that they have no alternative and are having to cut back on other essential household bills in an effort to keep their cars on the road in order to get to work, school and maintain contact.”