Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has demanded a cut of 26 cents per litre to the cost of fuel, as the government rejects his call to reduce fuel tax and ramps up its efforts to calm public panic over shortages at service stations. Taylor on Friday released a plan to halve the 52 cents per litre fuel excise for three months, which would save motorists a combined $1.5 billion over three months. The average national price for regular unleaded reached a record high of $2.38 last week. Taylor said the excise cut was needed to help Australians cope with the rising cost of living and should be paid for by cutting the government’s tax breaks on electric vehicles and pausing the popular scheme of discounts for home batteries.…