Drivers using diesel are switching away from the fuel and towards petrol and electric cars as consumption has fallen by almost a billion litres in the past year.
The latest HMRC figures found that the consumption of diesel in the UK fell by 968 million litres in the year 2023/24.
Petrol, however, saw volumes increase by 702 million litres across the same period.
The AA explained that the drop in diesel consumption was attributed to high prices and the incentives encouraging drivers to switch to electric or hybrid cars.
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Diesel is the most expensive fuel type for drivers
PABetween 2023 and 2024, data from the Hydrocarbon Oils Bulletin found that consumption of diesel dropped 3.2 per cent from 30.075 billion to 29.107 billion litres.
Meanwhile, UK petrol consumption grew by 4.2 per cent, increasing from 16.579billion to 17.281billion litres.
Diesel has continued to rise in price this year, with average costs now up by 2p per litre to 157.05p.
The price increases means that drivers are paying roughly £5.50 more to fill up a standard 55-litre family car than they did last year.
Experts from Swansway Motor Group said: “It's concerning to see the retailer margins on fuel; unleaded petrol margins have reached 9.5p per litre, and diesel even more dramatically at 18p per litre, which is a significant rise of 6p in April alone.
“These figures markedly exceed the long-term average margin of 8p per litre. Such disparities are leading to increased running costs for consumers and businesses.
"The variability in fuel prices is another pressing issue. Analysis shows that the differences between the cheapest and most expensive fuel ranges from 8p to 36p per litre in supermarket fuel prices at the end of April.
“This not only complicates budgeting for consumers but also highlights the need for more regulated pricing policies to help with such extreme differences.”
This comes as Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe called on the Government to delay the 2035 petrol and diesel car ban.
The ban would see all new cars entering the UK market be electric by 2035 with at least 22 per cent of vehicles this year needing to be zero emission.
Ratcliffe warned that there needs to be a “transition period” between fossil fuels and green fuels.
He explained: “The interim solution today which serves the need of the consumer is either the hybrid or electric vehicle with range extender."
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Consumption of diesel dropped 3.2 per cent last year
PAAs of September last year, there were over 10 million diesel cars on UK roads, compared to just over one million electric vehicles.
