A Jersey scaffolder calls the proposed 2027 fuel-duty freeze limited relief after diesel topped £2
Jersey's government proposes to hold fuel duty flat in 2027, with diesel recently above £2 a litre in the island and the UK, BBC News reported. Firms that run vans and machinery on diesel describe tighter margins, and the Treasury Minister says the budget's support goes to consumers.
The Board Room · Leadership desk
Fuel duty: frozen 2023-2025, raised with inflation in 2026, freeze proposed for 2027. Diesel recently topped £2 a litre locally and in the UK. A&A Scaffolding: limited relief if global prices rise. Le Maistre: diesel will cut margins. Barette: surcharges. Maclean: budget supports consumers.
- Who has to decide decision Government of Jersey Froze fuel duty 2023-2025, raised it in line with inflation in 2026, and proposes freezing it again in 2027, claim 4
- What it costs cost Diesel prices Diesel prices recently topped £2 a litre locally and in the UK, claim 1
- Who's exposed exposure A&A Scaffolding Solutions A freeze would be welcome but offer limited relief if global fuel prices continue to rise, Kelly Keating says, claim 6
- What it costs cost Jonathan Le Maistre Ltd Higher diesel prices will raise operating costs and reduce margins on jobs, Darren Hopkins says, claim 8
- What it costs cost Barette Plant Hire Adding fuel surcharges to hourly rates; fuel "hasn't been too much of an issue so far", Jeremy Phillips says, claim 9
- Who has to decide decision Treasury Minister Alan Maclean Says the budget provides support directly to consumers rather than expecting businesses to absorb increased costs, claim 14
| Who | How | Kind | Claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government of Jersey | Froze fuel duty 2023-2025, raised it in line with inflation in 2026, and proposes freezing it again in 2027 | decision | 4 |
| Diesel prices | Diesel prices recently topped £2 a litre locally and in the UK | cost | 1 |
| A&A Scaffolding Solutions | A freeze would be welcome but offer limited relief if global fuel prices continue to rise, Kelly Keating says | exposure | 6 |
| Jonathan Le Maistre Ltd | Higher diesel prices will raise operating costs and reduce margins on jobs, Darren Hopkins says | cost | 8 |
| Barette Plant Hire | Adding fuel surcharges to hourly rates; fuel "hasn't been too much of an issue so far", Jeremy Phillips says | cost | 9 |
| Treasury Minister Alan Maclean | Says the budget provides support directly to consumers rather than expecting businesses to absorb increased costs | decision | 14 |
What happened
- Fuel duty was frozen in Jersey from 2023 to 2025 and then rose in line with inflation in 2026; the proposed 2027 budget would freeze it again.
- The government says holding duty at its current rate will help avoid additional costs for households and for businesses that rely on transport.
- Tree surgeons Jonathan Le Maistre Ltd report a noticeable fuel-cost impact, and Darren Hopkins says higher diesel prices will cut margins on jobs.
- Barette Plant Hire is adding fuel surcharges to hourly rates, and its Jeremy Phillips says diesel has not been much of an issue so far.
- Deputy Lucy Stephenson's pre-budget call for a duty cut was withdrawn after ministers gave assurances that support was coming.
Why it matters
- What it limits constraint A duty freeze cannot offset a further rise in the global price, and the government itself says that price is outside Jersey's control.
- What it costs cost Fuel-heavy firms either take thinner margins or pass costs to customers, and the freeze leaves that choice with them.
- Who has to decide decision Operators pricing 2027 work must choose between absorbing diesel swings inside fixed quotes and adding surcharges of the kind the plant-hire firm already uses.
The freeze and the firms' complaint address different parts of the diesel price. Treasury Minister Alan Maclean described the government's reach in one sentence: "What the government can do is avoid adding further pressure where it can." [16] A freeze fits that description. Kelly Keating of A&A Scaffolding Solutions framed the objection as one of scale. Keating said: "A freeze in fuel duty would be welcome, but our concern is that it would offer limited relief if global fuel prices continue to rise." [6]
The BBC quoted three firms, and only A&A addressed the freeze itself [19]. The tree surgeons and the plant-hire firm spoke about fuel costs in general terms. That is a thin base for saying small operators broadly see the freeze as limited relief. It supports a narrower statement: firms with diesel-heavy work expect higher costs, and they handle them differently.
Ministers had a choice between a cut and a freeze, and they took the freeze. Maclean said the government "didn't like the idea of reducing fuel duty because it wasn't targeted" [12], and it prioritised targeted support for families and those "struggling the most" [13]. By Maclean's account a cut was too broad, and the help he described goes to consumers [14]. Firms that run vans and machinery on diesel carry their own fuel costs until they can pass them on.
Maclean's answer assumes they can. "Rather than expecting businesses to absorb increased costs such as higher fuel prices, the budget provides support directly to consumers to help them manage those pressures and spend in the local economy," he said. [14] The plan holds while customers keep commissioning work at higher prices. Jeremy Phillips of Barette Plant Hire said that "if the prices keep going up, customers aren't going to be carrying on with their projects". [10] Keating described the same ceiling from the supplier side: "Businesses can only absorb so many increases before they affect investment, project viability and ultimately the prices customers pay". [7]
Maclean also said the freeze "will help mitigate the impact of prices rises by reducing the level of duty in real terms". [17] The claim is accurate, and modest. If adopted, 2027 would be the fourth freeze year in five [18], so the value of a freeze is the increase that does not happen. The BBC report does not give the duty rate per litre or the cost of the freeze, so its size cannot be set against a diesel price that recently topped £2 [1].
What to watch
- Whether the proposed freeze survives into the adopted 2027 budget unchanged.
- Whether diesel stays above £2 a litre as the supply efforts by global leaders take effect.
- Whether surcharges like Barette Plant Hire's spread, and whether customers hold or cancel projects when they do.
Clarity's read
What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.
Reality
- Evidence50
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap
- Not scored
- Incentives55
- Confidence60
Claim ledger
Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.
- [1]
Locally and in the UK, diesel prices recently topped £2 a litre, and global leaders have since made efforts to ease the strain on supply.
- [2]
The Government of Jersey has proposed to freeze fuel duty in 2027 in a bid to "help ease cost-of-living pressures".
- [3]
A&A Scaffolding Solutions said it welcomed the proposed freeze but that it would provide "limited relief if global prices continue to rise".
- [4]
Fuel duty was frozen in Jersey from 2023-2025, before rising in line with inflation in 2026; the proposed 2027 budget suggests freezing it once again.
- [5]
The government said "maintaining fuel duty at its current rate will help avoid additional costs for households and businesses that rely on transport".
- [6]
Kelly Keating of A&A Scaffolding Solutions said: "A freeze in fuel duty would be welcome, but our concern is that it would offer limited relief if global fuel prices continue to rise."
- [7]
Keating said: "Businesses can only absorb so many increases before they affect investment, project viability and ultimately the prices customers pay".
- [8]
Tree surgeons Jonathan Le Maistre Ltd said fuel costs are having a "noticeable impact"; Darren Hopkins said higher diesel prices will raise operating costs, reduce margins on jobs and make it harder to absorb costs without passing some on to customers.
- [9]
Jeremy Phillips of Barette Plant Hire said fuel surcharges are being added to hourly rates and that fuel "hasn't been too much of an issue so far".
- [10]
Phillips said that "if the prices keep going up, customers aren't going to be carrying on with their projects".
- [11]
Before the 2027 budget was unveiled, Deputy Lucy Stephenson called for a reduction in fuel duty, but those plans were withdrawn following assurances from ministers that support was coming.
- [12]
Treasury Minister Alan Maclean said the government "didn't like the idea of reducing fuel duty because it wasn't targeted".
- [13]
Ministers opted for a freeze on duty for 2027, prioritising targeted support for families and those "struggling the most".
- [14]
Maclean said: "Rather than expecting businesses to absorb increased costs such as higher fuel prices, the budget provides support directly to consumers to help them manage those pressures and spend in the local economy".
- [15]
Maclean said: "Fuel prices are largely driven by global markets and geopolitical events outside Jersey's control."
- [16]
Maclean said: "What the government can do is avoid adding further pressure where it can."
- [17]
Maclean said: "The proposed freeze in fuel duty will help mitigate the impact of prices rises by reducing the level of duty in real terms".
- [18]
If the 2027 freeze is adopted, fuel duty will have been held in four of the five years from 2023 to 2027, with 2026 the only year of an inflation-linked rise.
- [19]
Of the three firms quoted by BBC News (A&A Scaffolding Solutions, Jonathan Le Maistre Ltd, Barette Plant Hire), only A&A's quoted remarks address the proposed freeze directly.
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Sources
1 independent publisher whose own reporting we read for this story.
- bbc.co.ukFuel costs squeezing margins for some businesses
1 article · October 15, 2026
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Topics
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