When diesel prices hit record highs, Jonathon Clifft made a simple calculation for his personal travel: if a journey was under an hour on foot, instead of driving he would walk.
The Wolverhampton businessman, who runs Clifft Waste Management, said soaring fuel costs had changed daily routines that once seemed insignificant.
He said: “When I get my morning paper, if it’s raining, I’d normally use the car, now I use an umbrella.”
Clifft’s story echoes millions of motorists across the country facing rising costs at the pump as UK diesel prices top £2 a litre for first time, according to the RAC.
He told the BBC that there is the same amount of money going into his bank account but more coming out.
His wife drives too, meaning the couple are both feeling the impact of rising fuel prices.
Clifft said: “If it’s within an hour’s walk, I’ll walk rather than use the car. I’ve always tried to keep reasonably fit by walking, but I’m doing it more now.”
But with a waste management business operating three vehicles across the West Midlands, the issue extends beyond the Clifft family finances.
“The cost of diesel has a direct impact on the day-to-day running of the business and what we have to charge customers,” he said.