West Midlands courier firm AYS Logistics welcomed chancellor George Osborne to its premises earlier this month to discuss the benefits of falling fuel prices.
The company said the continuing reduction in fuel prices has allowed it to scrap the 6% fuel surcharge it has levied on its customers since March 2013. It claimed a customer paying £2,000 a week for its services (including the surcharge) could now save £120.
Jane Weaver, MD at the Solihull-based operator, said pump prices reaching nearly £1.50 per litre in March 2013 forced it to begin charging customers extra to account for the high cost of fuel.
“The reduction in pump prices seen by falling oil prices combined with duty freezes on fuel has allowed us to now remove any surcharge which will, we hope, have a positive impact on our customers who are predominantly SMEs like ourselves,” added Weaver.
The chancellor said he hoped other businesses would follow suit and reduce their fuel surcharges as AYS has done.
“My message is clear: oil prices have fallen and those falls should be passed on to families and to small businesses,” he said.
The Treasury claimed global oil prices have fallen to around $47 from $115 in June 2014 and the chancellor is keen that these savings are passed on to the consumer.
It said average pump prices would be 18ppl lower by the end of the current parliament than they would have been under pre-2010 fuel duty increase plans, as a result of consecutive years of fuel duty freezes.
Picture: Mark Williams/ AYS Logistics.