Are new fuel protests on the way

[Del Lardo]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7021021.stm

Petrol prices in Cambridge are already ~98p and Birmingham is at ~94p. Another 2p on fuel brings us very close to the prices which resulted in the protests not to long ago.

With a purely selfish hat on it doesn't really bother me as I have a fuel card but I have noticed that it's just started getting cold which could drive oil prices up. Could this be a winter of discontent that does the government a lot of harm?

[Feek]

I'd have no problem with another round of fuel protests, it really didn't affect me before because at the time I was driving a car which would run on either unleaded or four star and there was plenty of four star available but I can't see it happening again.

If I remember, new legislation was dragged in quickly after the last time which gave the law more powers to deal with such a thing. Fuel prices frustrate me, not least because I use over a tankfull a week even with my heavy oil burner :(

[Garp]

At the time of the last fuel protests they had an economist on News 24 who showed the figures and math to demonstrate that at that time, taking inflation into account, we were getting 'cheaper' fuel than we had done 20 years ago, and in fact the amount we were paying was actually cheaper than most times before; plus average wages had increased quicker than fuel prices.
It's been what.. 4 years since the last ones? Do people forget the impact of inflation on prices? Some rough maths tells me that 94p 4 years ago is roughly equivilant to £1.10 these days. Will either of these points enter into the heads of those that protest? Probably not, they'll just see that mystical £ symbol and go up in arms.

[Jonny69]

I am partly with Jarp. The only time I've had 'cheap' petrol in my driving lifetime was 10 years ago when I started driving, 55p per litre, and if you only took inflation into account on that figure would be about 75p per litre today. Sure if you go back 5 years we haven't had a realistic increase with inflation and in relative terms the price has gone down but there had already been the steep increase by that point.

Wages haven't gone up that much at all in the last 10 years, but plenty of things have increased considerably, fuel, housing, heating, electricity, rail fares etc. These are the things that cost us the most in life so we are most definitely worse off now than we were back then.

[mejinks]

I think the issue isn't inflation etc, but peoples perception of the cost in their mind. As an oil producing nation it is extremely unfair to be levied with such high tax on petrol, whereas most of our European neighbours (including the non oil producing ones) don't pay half as much.

The fact that we pay VED, high tax on petrol and road tolls does make us one of the most expensive places to drive in Europe.

Having said that, major routes have very well kept roads (why else do we complain about roadworks) so we can't really argue that the money isn't being spent on the upkeep of those roads, just the minor roads, some of which are over 40 years past refurbishment date.

The last fuel strike caused the government to pass legislation forcing drivers to take no notice of fuel blockades and effectively adding yet another job for the army should drivers refuse.

I can remember as a kid when you could buy 2 star at the pumps and it was 12p a litre.

[Zirax]

If it tips £1 then yep I can see them coming. When you consider that most of the money paid is pure tax, its not going to look good. Certainly if a general election is called and suddenly the magical £1 is reached everywhere (not just central london) then it will have a massive effect.

If I was still commuting long distance then I would be transferring over to LPG. Either that or get an oil burner and run on part veggie oil. Which of course I would tell the gov't about bwahahahaha, no really I would.

[Will]

I still can't understand why we pay more than any other european nation. **** inflation and "salary increases" - it's bollocks, we pay more because we're taxed more on it - end of. It's ridiculous. They've started increasing the cost of LPG too so that's becoming a false economy too.

[Zirax]

I still can't understand why we pay more than any other european nation. **** inflation and "salary increases" - it's bollocks, we pay more because we're taxed more on it - end of. It's ridiculous. They've started increasing the cost of LPG too so that's becoming a false economy too.

Agreed totally. I had noticed LPG prices going up. Thats because people are switching over i.e. taxi's. They will now introduce a "green tax" to make the numbers back up. Its less of a deal when considering that you get less mpg.

[Belmit]

First I heard of the rises was on the way to work this morning, literally as I drove past a petrol station. Prices were already 99 for unleaded and 101 for diesel. They definitely hadn't changed them at Sainsburys though; checked my tyre pressure there and I would have noticed if they had. Was only a matter of time before this happened. We do pay too much tax on it though.

[Feek]

blah blah demonstrate that at that time, taking inflation into account blah blah

We do pay too much tax on it though.

I don't give a crap about inflation, Garp. This is the important bit.

[Matblack]

Hmmmmmmm

I'm not sure where I stand on this. Because I only use the car every now and again the price increase doesn't worry me too much.

We complain a lot about this government but they seem to generally be doing OK as far as the economy is concerned. Whoever is in power is going to spend a lot of time in the wrong and if the Torys get in I don't hold out a lot of hope for them droping any of the taxes which have been introduced by Labour, in fact it will be the same old same old just with Dodgy Dave in charge instead.

So I'm undecided, if this was going to get anyone to use their car less I would be more swayed but quite frankly it won't. Better off increasing the tax on higher polluting vehicles to do that, i have a higher polluting car and I would pay more for the privilidge.

MB

[Will]

The problem is in this country we over pay for a lot of things and just accept it. :/

The tax on fuel here is around 50p on average - on the continent the average is around 27p. How is it that they can survive and have an equally powerful economy (some would argue more stable and fair) and can't we without being raped? It's not fair.

[Del Lardo]

It's probably because they are taxed in different ways. I was chatting to my boss last week after my review and bitching about how 40% of my bonus was going straight to the tax man and he pointed out that in Belgium it would have been 52% and IIRC most Scandinavian countries have equally high levels of income tax.

[Von Smallhausen]

Fuel taxation in this country is a disgrace. You are slammed twice for both fuel duty and VAT and there is no excuse whatsoever for such a high level of taxation. It is so expensive as it is through because of greed and nothing else. It does not cost nearly 1 Pound a litre to extract, distill, refine, ship and wholesale buy and costs considerable less.

The green argument doesn't wash .... I work 25 miles and 35 minutes from where I live and via the public transport system it would be nearly two hours or so so I would suggest that the use of the car to get to work is a neccessity. Couple that with the transport system being fit for the Victorian era in this country and that argument can be flushed back up the Whitehall flue.

Greed. That is why we pay so high a price for petrol and diesel.

[Haly]

Pretty much how I feel on the matter too Von :)
In my case, I work 30 miles away and there is absolutely no way of getting there other than by car because it's just off a motorway junction and there's no public transport of any kind within 5 miles.

[Stan_Lite]

Spare a thought for the poor people of Shetland and other remote rural areas where fuel prices are considerably higher and a car is not a luxury, it's a necessity. Public transport in many areas in Shetland is virtually non-existent and many people rely on cars to get to work, get the the kids to school, go shopping, go to the doctor - and access many other essential services.

I have just got back from visiting my family up there and whilst out walking in the main town of Lerwick, I noticed the sign below at a petrol station and took a photo with the intention of starting a thread about it. Remember, this was in the main town so it's a reasonably safe bet that prices in the more remote areas are a few pence higher.

http://www.bigstan.net/Images/Fuel%20Sign.jpg

I wish there was some way that those for whom a car is a necessity could have their fuel prices subsidised. I haven't had a car for about 3 years, if I was to have one, it would be for my own personal convenience and general messing about in and I would be less likely to grumble about fuel prices if those who couldn't function without a car could have their fuel at a reduced rate.

It's no wonder rural areas are becoming depopulated - people simply can't afford to access basic services because of the insane fuel tax levied by successive British governments.