High fuel prices to improve Britain's air quality

High fuel prices could improve Britain's air quality after it was found that people are changing their driving habits to save money.

According to moneysupermarket.com, 62 per cent of survey respondents said they have reduced the amount of times they use their car as a result of the increasing petrol costs.

It also showed that five per cent of people have stopped driving altogether due to the charges.

As fewer people are using their vehicles to get around, the amount of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere will be reduced which will improve the UK's air quality.

Head of banking at moneysupermarket.com Kevin Mountford said: "With the effects of the VAT rise taking hold and the latest inflation data highlighting the pressure on our wallets, fuel is another day-to-day cost that people are really struggling with."

The findings show a greater number of people have limited the amount of time they drive when compared with a similar survey taken in October 2010, which revealed that 56.6 per cent of people had reduced their car usage due to rising fuel costs.

Posted by Claire Manning