Decarbonising roads Lower prices

UK fuel prices have fallen for the third month in a row but lower prices at the pumps may be at an end.

and diesel at 167.49p (down 2.79p).

THE UK is set to spend £30 million of government funding for innovative projects to decarbonise UK highways.

Seven projects spread across the UK, from Lanarkshire to Devon, have been awarded funding through the Decarbonising Local Roads competition.

The programme supports projects led by local highways authorities focused on tackling the long­term decarbonisation of highways infrastructure, such as street­lights, and transform­ ing local authorities’ approach to decarbonising roads.

Other projects plan to drive changes to the design, construction and maintenance of typical UK highway construction, as well as plans to develop a first­ofits­kind system approach to creating a net carbon­negative model for green infrastructure delivery.

Roads Minister, Richard Holden, confirmed: “The UK is a world leader in technology and innovation and we must use that strength to drive decarbonisation and the next generation of high ­ tech jobs that go alongside it.

“We are supporting this vital agenda to help level up through £30 million funding for ground­breaking projects and boosting regional connections to support growth.”

The minister added: “The government is determined to create good, well­paid jobs ­ via innovation and investment across the UK as we accelerate the road to net zero.”

After three consecutive months of falls the average price of petrol bottomed out at 148.35p towards the end of January and has now started to slowly rise again, data from RAC Fuel Watch reveals.

Having at one point been as much as 3.5p lower than at the start of the month, unleaded closed January at 148.89p, 3p lower than it began (151.85p). The last time drivers filled up at this price was in mid­February 2022 before Russia invaded Ukraine.

Filling up at one of the big four supermarkets was around 3p a litre cheaper for both fuels, with the average price of petrol at their sites finishing January at 145.71p (down 2.25p)

RAC fuel spokesman, Simon Williams, said: “Although January saw fuel prices fall for the third month in a row, there is now more cause for concern than celebration as petrol has already begun to creep back up very slightly.”