YES, you guessed it, it's happening again - petrol prices are creeping up even though we are in a period of deflation with other costs going down.

As is always the case, it's due to supply and demand.

Some oil producers are cutting supplies to the West and this reduction in supply is bolstering the price which affects the amount that you pay at the pumps.

Fortunately fuel duty has been static for a while but that won't be the case forever.

We shouldn't be shocked by this trend because over the long-term, the fuel price curve is only ever going to move in one direction - upward.

This puts the onus on us to manage costs to mitigate this trend.

Motorists should worry less about the price at the forecourts and more about limiting the amount of fuel that they use, through things like driving style and journey planning.

It's straightforward to do and the benefits can be recognised fairly quickly.

A slightly longer term option is to select efficient vehicles, which deliver the highest possible fuel consumption based on the type of driving you do.

We are seeing the take-up of hybrids rising quickly because used in the right circumstances they allow drivers to use less fuel, which reduces their overall vehicle running costs.

Now really is the time to take the bull by the horns to manage your fuel costs.