Smart Door Power Options

[One Man Banned]

I had to fill Myrtle up yesterday (1995 1.8 petrol Volvo) and my local Tesco's wants 101.9 for unleaded but I filled up in Cheltenham for a princely 98.9.

 

Surely there should be a trading standards issue here as there's another Tesco 5 miles away on the other side of Gloucester thats only 99.9 but locally here there are only three petrol stations and one of those is just off the motorway and charges service station prices anyway, now the same as Tesco's - surely it's artificially inflating the prices, it can't surely be cheaper to deliver the fuel further away from us

 

Perhaps there should be a mass demonstration on the Government to reduce the duty immediately by about 10p per litre, although I heard this week that whoever our new chancellor is will be smiling, as they've netted £4billion in extra VAT from the increased prices at the moment, obviously helping to plug some gaps in old Gordy's finances

 

A

xx

[nicki9]

I had to pay over £40 yesterday to fill up my peugeot 206. When I first got it - abouot 18 months ago - it cost £25 to fill.

[Guest]

I'm almost surprised this hasn't started another fuel blockade. Mind you the last one was in warmer weather!

 

I can see the refinery from the windows at work - seems to be rather chilly over there.

[redfrock]

unfortunately I am an 'essential car user' for work so I can't use public transport. Petrol here has rocketed. It went over the £1 a couple of weeks ago, and the supermarkets were one of the first to do it Thanet (my patch) used to be classed as the cheapest place in the country to buy your petrol, more recently the petrol has been cheaper in London than down here!!!

 

We have 3 cars - I always have something small and economical, so that it falls into the cheap tax bracket, but at the same time falls into the higher rate for mileage payment at work (ie.1.3 or above). My last 2 cars were KAs (1.3), just recently I have got a VW lupo (1.4) which I adore. Its economical, feels really safe and sturdy and ticks all the other necessary boxes. My car also has to enough oomph to do motorway journeys as well because I have to regularly go to London and Maidstone for work. When I bought my new (6yr old) car in July, I checked out all the crash ratings because I wanted to feel safe.

 

OH has 2 cars - a big juicy Volvo (2point something litres) for towing the caravan (if we could tow it with my car we would!) and for high days and holidays. And a clapped out old mini for going to and from work That costs him about £15pw in petrol as opposed to the £60+ the Volvo would cost.

 

They seem to use any excuse to hike petrol prices though - there was a fire recently at a refinery or somewhere and the very next day prices had risen - you can't tell me that it had that quick an effect. ....

Edited November 10, 2007 by Guest

[Guest]

Coryton had an explosion a couple of weeks ago, we heard the blast in school and can see the refinery from some of the windows - the view wasn't that dramatic and they said it wouldn't cause shortages.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/7070995.stm

[Richard T]

I agree that the tax on petrol is high but these latest increases are more to do with the world and American economies than anything Gordon Brown has done. Because of the current weakness of the US dollar investors are not investing in dollars but are investing in oil and this demand for oil has pushed the price of crude oil up. And the oil companies have passed this price rise on to us. Have you noticed how oil companies never absorb sudden increases in crude oil prices and wait to see if the price goes down again? And when prices of oil do go down they never reduce the price as much as they should.

 

The price of other commodities, including gold, is high too.

[Blackrocksrock]

chocchick wrote

 

[My 2003 1.0 3 door one gets 50mpg and £115 road tax. It is literally green in colour though ]

 

LOL mine is also green - Cactus green - very pale.

[Cinnamon]

I can recommend my gorgeous little Fiat Panda for economy & cheap tax too.

We have had her a year, we used to have a big old Merc,but downgraded to save some money.

Even though we bought her new,she is so lovely to drive & so economical that we would never have a big car again

[Blackrocksrock]

I have had 3 fiat pandas and they were the old type but the last one I hit a roe deer with and end of panda - I was very sad as it was a great little car - that last one was an automatic with a soft top! They are fun cars and I agree with the little car option but my husband needs a 4 x 4 for his business ( Tree surgeon) so we have that option in bad weather if needed but I dont use it.

[Guest]

I just don't do small cars, I need the boot space of a big one and I also like the extra comfort factor. Oh and I like lots of toys! I looked at the Prius (sp) but for the same money it comes with half the stuff on a Mondeo.

[ali-s]

In Elgin this morning I paid £1.09 per litre at BP I normally do not notice the price per litre and usually just put in £20.00 worth a time

 

I have 2 fiat Pandas Next year I am trading in my Fiat Seciento and hope to get a Panda

[Charlottechicken]

although I heard this week that whoever our new chancellor is will be smiling, as they've netted £4billion in extra VAT from the increased prices at the moment, obviously helping to plug some gaps in old Gordy's finances

 

the present chancellor is Alistair Darling, the one with dark eyebrows and white hair. I can't see him staying long, he appears to be not very good at anything.

 

Here's an interesting site, be prepared to rant http://www.abd.org.uk/fuel_tax.htm it says two thirds of what we pay at the pump is tax

[Cinnamon]

I just don't do small cars, I need the boot space of a big one and I also like the extra comfort factor. Oh and I like lots of toys! I looked at the Prius (sp) but for the same money it comes with half the stuff on a Mondeo.

 

Believe me, my Panda has ALL the extras & is really comfortable.

I can easily fit everyting I need in the boot,which is really big too

I used to adore my Merc,as it was so luxurious & sedate, but my Panda is much more fun

 

If we won the lottery then yes,maybe I would buy a bigger car for long journeys too, but I would always have a small about town runaround for day to day.

[chelsea]

local village garage has gone up to 1.07.9 pence today. so nearly 108p!

[Lesley]

Carl has just paid £1.09.9 - £1.10 at the garage just up the road.

 

He's still in shock!

[Cate in NZ]

Whoops, petrol prices are getting scary aren't they .

Currently we're paying around £98.9 locally which I thought was bad enough, but we seem to be a little cheaper than some of you.

I do keep trying to reduce the amount I drive and I am managing to make a few changes, but I do have to rely on the car a fair bit, local bus services are very limited and not particularly reliable and I have a lot of commitments, so I am forced to drive often. My car is an Astra, 1.8 so it's not particularly economical, but no point in trading it in now.

[fairy&cake]

9 1/2 hours

 

Its 7 when i drive

 

wouldnt it be cheaper and quicker to fly? [and maybe better for the environment.]

[Christian]

No Laura, his Mum lives an hour from the airport, then we don't have a car when we are there.

 

Plus we have so much to bring back, (potato scones, steak pies, shortbread etc etc), and as i spend my life on planes, its nice to be in the car. Have a cool bag with yummy snacks and thermos with tea. I really look forward to it

[theherd123]

If you ever want to stop off en-route for a loo break or quick cuppa you are more than welcome

[Christian]

 

Thanks Em. OH is always when I need to stop

 

(bladder the size of a walnut)

[chelsea]

In Elgin this morning I paid £1.09 per litre at BP I

 

What I cant understand is how it can be more expensive in rural/remote areas than in the cities I dont have many choices around here where to get my diesel.

[Egluntyne]

In Elgin this morning I paid £1.09 per litre at BP I

 

What I cant understand is how it can be more expensive in rural/remote areas than in the cities I dont have many choices around here where to get my diesel.

 

The cost of delivering it I suppose. It doesn't seem fair though.

[Lesley]

While we are fairly rural, I wouldn't say we are in the back of beyond.......... and we're paying £1.10 here........ it is cheaper in the town just 6 miles away.

 

We'll have to plan better

[Charlottechicken]

I am signed up to www.petrolprices.com and they send you weekly emails with the cheapest stations near to you, there are about 5 petrol stations within a mile of my house though, probably not that many for most of you. Worth a try if you are fairly out of the way, can be interesting too.

[Tina C]

We are lucky because OH has a company car and I rarely drive anywhere - work at home, school and shops a few minutes walk. I do get scared when I have to put a bit of petrol in the camper (to go and get chicken food!) and I do feel for those of you who have to use your cars every day.

 

But have you seen the price of bread???

 

Last week I bought a Warburtons seedy loaf - it cost £1.49. It was £1.09 a few weeks ago

 

Apparently the cost of eggs has rocketed too - but most of us won't have noticed that.

 

I read an article in last weekend's Guardian and because the US is now growing more 'biofuel' crops there is a shortgage of grain for food - and apart from affecting the price of all our food (and our chicken's food), the poorest people in third world countries are getting to point where they cannot afford to eat their staple food.

 

This absolutely horrified me.

 

And then this weekend I read about the people queueing for iphones and it makes me

 

Sorry - wandered off topic a bit there. But it is all connected.