UK inflation rises to six-month high driven by fuel and airfare costs

Rises in petrol, diesel and airfares pushed UK inflation up to its highest level in six months in the year to August.

Inflation accelerated to 3.1% from 2.9% , according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The cost of filling up a vehicle soared in August as the conflict in the Middle East continued to disrupt global oil supplies. Petrol prices jumped to their highest for nearly four years, the ONS said, while diesel also rocketed.

Meanwhile, the cost of flying jumped during the key month for summer getaways.

Overall, motor fuel prices rose by 23% compared to August last year.

Oil hit more than $91 a barrel as the US-Israel war with Iran went on. That compares to around $73 just before hostilities began earlier this year.

As a result, average petrol prices have continued to climb and between July and August, they rose by 9.1p to 161.3p per litre.

"This is the highest price recorded since November 2022," said the ONS. At that point, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine had pushed up global energy costs.

Capital Economics said, at this point, the effect of higher oil prices has not spilled over into other areas such as food and drink, where the pace of inflation remained at 1.3% in the year to August.

But its chief UK economist, Paul Dales, said: "Everyone knows that bigger rises in inflation are on their way."

Grant Fitzner, chief economist at the ONS, said: "Rising crude oil and petrol prices increased both the annual cost of raw materials and the price of goods leaving factories respectively."

Dales estimates that a combination of higher oil and gas prices and "the eventual 'first-round' effect of businesses passing on some of their higher energy costs" will lead to inflation peaking at 4.2% in January.

As well as hitting drivers in the pocket, higher oil prices also affect forecourts.

Goran Raven, owner of Essex petrol station RJ Raven, told the BBC: "Things are down. We've got lots of pressure on us at the moment. I'd say we're about 20% down on this time last year."

Raven said changes in the oil price have a "real-time impact on us".

In recent days, Brent crude - the global benchmark for oil prices - has surpassed $100 a barrel.

"We only have small tanks here, so we need a tanker almost every day at the moment and we have to pay a daily spot price," said Raven. "When the price goes up, we have to go up with it. There's no way around it.

"The margins here are wafer-thin on fuel. People like to think we're earning a lot on it. Unfortunately, we really aren't. It's single digits of pence we earn per litre."

The rise in inflation means it has moved further away from the Bank of England's 2% target.

The bank uses interest rates to control inflation.

The rate currently stands at 3.75% and the Bank of England is meeting on Thursday to decide whether to change it.

Chancellor John Healey, who is preparing to announce his first Budget next month, said: "The war in the Middle East is impacting on inflation worldwide, not just here at home. In our bills, our weekly shop and at the petrol pumps."

He said: "Despite this serious global uncertainty, our UK economy is proving resilient."

The most recent figures showed that the UK economy expanded by 0.4% in July, boosted by investment in artificial intelligence.

But, for the second quarter between April and June, Britain's economic growth slowed to 0.4% from 0.6% in January to March.