Moneysupermarket.com: Rising living costs hit rural Britain hardest

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Moneysupermarket.com: Rising living costs hit rural Britain hardest

Thu 7th Aug 2008

Rural Britain is suffering the most from the rising cost of living, according to price comparison website moneysupermarket.com.

Homes in remote villages rely more on oil for their heating and are also hit by the fastest rises in food and fuel costs, the site found.

This is because their remoteness places them further from supermarkets, makes their commutes longer and inhibits their access to gas.

As an example, Patterdale in the Lake District has petrol and diesel costs of around 7p per litre higher than the national average, with the average annual salary standing at £19,200 and council tax exceeding £1,460 for a Band D property.

It is also 16 miles from the nearest major supermarket.

Clare Francis of moneysupermarket.com said over five million households without gas are paying double last year's amounts to heat their homes.

She urged the government to cut petrol and diesel tax.

UK motorists pay more than European ones for fuel, according to uSwitch.com.

British drivers pay over £6.2 million an hour at petrol pumps.

Over the last eight years, they have paid an average of 12 per cent more than those in the continent.

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