The cost of refueling cars in the UK is having significant effect on the cost of living for the driving public.

A new report from Confused.com has revealed that up to a quarter of British drivers are spending more on their fuel than they do going out with family and friends. The cost of a tank of petrol is £75 for a medium-sized car, while diesel is even more expensive at £78, but some motorists can only afford to top up £31 of fuel for each visit to the petrol station.

Amanda Stretton, Confused.com Motoring Editor, said: "Fuel prices have reached the most expensive on record, according to our fuel price index, and motorists are feeling the sting, particularly those on lower incomes.

"If prices continue to go up, motorists may be priced off the road. But at the moment, drivers are spending more money on fuel than they are on time with their loved ones, or even putting away money to save.

"It isn’t just inflated fuel prices motorists are facing. Car insurance prices have also started to creep up again, according to our latest car insurance price index data."

The revealing figures also show that a fifth of drivers admit that they cannot afford to run their car due to the cost of petrol, with those on a low income (£5,001-£10,000) spending up to 13 per cent of their earnings on petrol or diesel.

In some areas of the UK the cost of petrol has increased by 13.1p, an 11 per cent rise over a year.

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