Price Of Petrol Falls In Europe

[Pole]

Telegraph Link

The average price of a litre of unleaded petrol hit a fresh high of 128.71p, as campaigners took a petition to the Treasury asking for the planned increase in fuel duty, due to come into force in April, to be abandoned.

However, while British petrol has climbed, data from the AA, the motoring group, showed that the price of unleaded petrol in The Netherlands had fallen five per cent since the middle of January, fallen 6.5 per cent in Germany and dropped 2.5 per cent in France.

Luke Bosdet, a spokesman for the AA, said: "I do not want to accuse petrol retailers of skulduggery, but we're not prepared to see drivers denied drops in the price of wholesale of petrol.

"There is obviously a systematic problem with how garages price their petrol in the UK."

Prices in Europe have fallen because of the lower price of wholesale petrol, which has fallen in Britain too. The average price of wholesale petrol was £41.17 a ton at the start of the year, but has fallen to £39.11 this week, according to the AA.

Petrol retailers denied they were ripping off motorists, saying the AA's figures were not reliable and that wholesale prices had, in fact, climbed.

Brian Madderson, chairman of Retail Motor Industry Federation's Petrol group, said: “Forecourts are closing at the rate of around 400 per year with smaller, but socially vital, rural sites most at risk. Attempts to deflect the impact of relentless Government tax hikes by suggesting that retailers are "profiteering" are ludicrous and unhelpful to an industry sector struggling to preserve jobs especially in the challenged rural communities.”

The FairFuelUK campaign lobbied the Treasury and handed in a letter addressed to Chancellor George Osborne.

The letter urged him to abandon a planned April fuel duty increase of 1p a litre and to announce measures to bring down and stabilise the cost of fuel.

The FairFuelUK campaign is backed by the Road Haulage Association (RHA), the Freight Transport Association (FTA), the Fuel Card Company and the RAC as well as other businesses, trade bodies and members of the motoring public.

Geoff Dunning of the RHA said: "The recovery of the economy and its long-term future rely massively on stable fuel prices."

Theo de Pencier of the FTA said: "It is within the Government's gift to loosen the noose from around the industry's neck but this will only happen if we all come together and make our voices heard."

[OnlyMe]

We have a vituous inflationary economy.

Can only be days until the next big employer announces their multi-hundred to thousand shut down and ship out proposals after Pfizer.

Companies are gong to be making long term plans and the cored out remains of the UK will likely not be in them.

[Patfig]

Telegraph Link

The average price of a litre of unleaded petrol hit a fresh high of 128.71p, as campaigners took a petition to the Treasury asking for the planned increase in fuel duty, due to come into force in April, to be abandoned.

However, while British petrol has climbed, data from the AA, the motoring group, showed that the price of unleaded petrol in The Netherlands had fallen five per cent since the middle of January, fallen 6.5 per cent in Germany and dropped 2.5 per cent in France.

Luke Bosdet, a spokesman for the AA, said: "I do not want to accuse petrol retailers of skulduggery, but we're not prepared to see drivers denied drops in the price of wholesale of petrol.

"There is obviously a systematic problem with how garages price their petrol in the UK."

Prices in Europe have fallen because of the lower price of wholesale petrol, which has fallen in Britain too. The average price of wholesale petrol was £41.17 a ton at the start of the year, but has fallen to £39.11 this week, according to the AA.

Petrol retailers denied they were ripping off motorists, saying the AA's figures were not reliable and that wholesale prices had, in fact, climbed.

Brian Madderson, chairman of Retail Motor Industry Federation's Petrol group, said: “Forecourts are closing at the rate of around 400 per year with smaller, but socially vital, rural sites most at risk. Attempts to deflect the impact of relentless Government tax hikes by suggesting that retailers are "profiteering" are ludicrous and unhelpful to an industry sector struggling to preserve jobs especially in the challenged rural communities.”

The FairFuelUK campaign lobbied the Treasury and handed in a letter addressed to Chancellor George Osborne.

The letter urged him to abandon a planned April fuel duty increase of 1p a litre and to announce measures to bring down and stabilise the cost of fuel.

The FairFuelUK campaign is backed by the Road Haulage Association (RHA), the Freight Transport Association (FTA), the Fuel Card Company and the RAC as well as other businesses, trade bodies and members of the motoring public.

Geoff Dunning of the RHA said: "The recovery of the economy and its long-term future rely massively on stable fuel prices."

Theo de Pencier of the FTA said: "It is within the Government's gift to loosen the noose from around the industry's neck but this will only happen if we all come together and make our voices heard."

Firesale anyone

[Realistbear]

Canon just announced the release of the 600d. UK price £679. US price $799.

I will be upgrading my 450d with a US model.

This country always has been and always will be a scamming rip off. My time here is running short. :angry:

[this_prisoner_is_opting_out]

I don't know where the Telegraph is getting their data from, but certainly at least where I live in The Netherlands unleaded is ~153.9 a litre and is actually on the rise rather than falling!

[Executive Sadman]

Canon just announced the release of the 600d. UK price £679. US price $799.

I will be upgrading my 450d with a US model.

This country always has been and always will be a scamming rip off. My time here is running short. :angry:

$799 plus 20% VAT and 10% euroduty is £650. another £30 of costs due to higher transport and regulations here is possible.

[koala_bear]

I don't know where the Telegraph is getting their data from, but certainly at least where I live in The Netherlands unleaded is ~153.9 a litre and is actually on the rise rather than falling!

I was wondering that too. I suspect all is not as simple as it looks, I think a lot of retailers avoided raising pump prices before the VAT increase and deferred the price increases to around the time of the VAT and duty increases, that then allowed for around of price increases.

As to the wholesale prices quoted they are VERY wrong. Last week the spot price in Rotterdam was ~$830 per tonne (which using a rate of $1.61 = £1 ) is £515 per tonne. Their £41.17 per tonne would indicated that the cost to the oil company of the petrol at the pump of 5.2p per litre which is an order of magnitude out! As that seems to align with my 515 figure i suspect that they have also screwed up the litres to tonnes conversion and forgotten out the density issue.

[Britney's Piers]

Canon just announced the release of the 600d. UK price £679. US price $799.

I will be upgrading my 450d with a US model.

This country always has been and always will be a scamming rip off. My time here is running short. :angry:

The UK is known as "treasure island" among big business because of its people's willingness to pay silly prices without complaint.

[frenchy]

Canon just announced the release of the 600d. UK price £679. US price $799.

I will be upgrading my 450d with a US model.

This country always has been and always will be a scamming rip off. My time here is running short. :angry:

$799 + Vat / 1.6:1 = £600 excluding shipment and the fact that last time I was in California (at least) there was only 3mths warranty on electronic goods.

So what you are saying is, I will buy it in the US, pay the same as in the UK but wait a week or 2 to have it shipped and in 3 months when warranty has expired and it breaks put it in the bin and buy another one... and in the process you will be all proud of yourself moaning at how bad the UK is...

[interestrateripoff]

The price has to go up to get the tax revenue.

[billybong]

'Tis truly The Treasure Island.

[Realistbear]

$799 + Vat / 1.6:1 = £600 excluding shipment and the fact that last time I was in California (at least) there was only 3mths warranty on electronic goods.

So what you are saying is, I will buy it in the US, pay the same as in the UK but wait a week or 2 to have it shipped and in 3 months when warranty has expired and it breaks put it in the bin and buy another one... and in the process you will be all proud of yourself moaning at how bad the UK is...

Canon USA give you a 12 month warranty. I am still using a Canon G11 from the US and it hasn't broken yet. No sales tax in the US if you order online. IMport duties into the US from Japan have all been paid by the importer.

I get people that travel backwards and forwards to pick one up to zero out any shipping charges.

Edited February 9, 2011 by Realistbear

[billybong]

1 Euro = 0.848162656 British pounds

http://gasoline-germany.com/statistik.phtml

Price fixing, released on 09.02.2011 at 14:06 o'clock

Regular 91 OCT 1,451 €

Super 95 OCT 1,451 €

Super Premium 98 OCT 1,522 €

Diesel 1,369 €

http://gasoline-germany.com/international.phtml

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/fuel/index.html

Fuel price report - January 2011

UK and overseas fuel prices

January 2011

VAT and fuel duty increases at the turn of the year have helped to push up monthly petrol prices by their biggest amount in recent times. The average price of diesel is within a penny of the record set in July 2008. Barrel price is $96.

Unleaded prices have risen by 6.2ppl from 122.1ppl to 128.3ppl. Diesel prices have also risen, by 6.6ppl, from 126.2ppl to 132.8ppl. The price difference between unleaded and diesel has risen to 4.5ppl.

Northern Ireland recorded the highest price for unleaded at 129.1ppl. Yorkshire and Humberside recorded the lowest price for unleaded at 127.3ppl. Wales and Northern Ireland recorded the highest diesel price at 133.5ppl. Yorkshire and Humberside have the cheapest diesel at 131.9ppl.

Supermarket prices for unleaded also rose over the month by 6.5ppl to 126.7ppl. The gap between supermarket prices and the UK average for unleaded has fallen 1.6ppl.

The UK has the fifth highest unleaded price in Europe and the second highest diesel price.

http://www.aaireland.ie/AA/Motoring-advice/Petrol-Prices.aspx

Euro Zone Price Comparisons

Edited February 9, 2011 by billybong

[longtomsilver]

whats wrong with the 450d ? it's a cracking camera.

I very nearly got it but went for the 40d instead before they obsoleted it. got it for 450d price. stay one generation behind and grab a bargain.

Edited February 9, 2011 by tomposh101

[shermanator]

whats wrong with the 450d ? it's a cracking camera.

I very nearly got it but went for the 40d instead before they obsoleted it. got it for 450d price. stay one generation behind and grab a bargain.

Out of interest, are any HPCers cutting down on their driving and are their friends/family doing likewise?

What's happening to the volume of petrol/diesel sales on the UK's forecourts? If I'm any guide they should be contracting fast.

[Patfig]

I havent driven my car for the whole of Jan and to date which is about £400 not spent.

I'm not the only one I know either. As people go out less for evenings out, so they use their cars less as well.

The Shell petrol station nearest to me has closed suddenly and is being dug up for houses.

for houses hilarious

[Realistbear]

Out of interest, are any HPCers cutting down on their driving and are their friends/family doing likewise?

What's happening to the volume of petrol/diesel sales on the UK's forecourts? If I'm any guide they should be contracting fast.

I have cut wine consumption down by 50% and driving by about the same. Planning trips more and have switched to Lidl for most shopping and fid the quality as good if not better than Tesco/Sainsburys.

THere does not seem to be any hard evidence of austerity yet--just lots of talk from people about how fed up they are with the cost of everything and how they are cutting back.

Edited February 9, 2011 by Realistbear

[longtomsilver]

Out of interest, are any HPCers cutting down on their driving and are their friends/family doing likewise?

What's happening to the volume of petrol/diesel sales on the UK's forecourts? If I'm any guide they should be contracting fast.

I sold my car last week via webuyanycar

It was a finance car with 1year left to run. They offered more than the settlement figure (and enough for a few pints in my new 'village' pub). One car family now we have moved closer to my wifes job and into a lovely area where we don't need to spend money to keep us occupied. Guestimate is it'll reduce our monthly outgoings (200car +300 for previously living in a depressing area).

Edited February 9, 2011 by tomposh101

[longtomsilver]

If anyone has a car on HP, provided they have paid 50% they can hand the car back and walk away from the contract as well if anyone needs to get out of such a contract. The law was changed recently.

http://www.insolvencyhelpline.co.uk/debt_factsheets/how_to_deal_with_hire_purchase_debt.php

That's useful advice for people who frequent MSE forum. I'd say most of us HPCers are not typical. I got rid because as a middle income household we are being hit hardest by the tax rises and loss of the child benefit. The £200 monthly saving represents around 5% of our net monthly income so a no-brainer really.

Getting my old GSXR600 back on the road

Edit: I think the 50% rule applies to the amount of credit paid off and does not include the interest+charge in which case we would not have been able to exercise this rule even 2/3rds into the agreement.

Edited February 9, 2011 by tomposh101

[billybong]

http://www.drive-alive.co.uk/fuel_prices_europe.html

From that link it looks like British diesel prices are currently above the likes of Germany, France and but unleaded is about comparable. Netherlands is far cheaper on diesel but far more expensive on unleaded.

It's difficult to see which way it's trending between countries as there don't seem to be any historical graphical links of everyday retail petrol prices for different countries. They AA should know though or know someone who does.

Here's another link that shows the UK as the 2nd most expensive nation on earth for petrol (the 1.92 ratio is a figure relative to the world average and isn't a petrol price) - just below Uruguay

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/ene_gas_pri-energy-gasoline-prices

Edited February 9, 2011 by billybong

[billybong]

Typical UK retail prices, pre-tax prices and tax take for premium unleaded petrol and diesel

pence per litre

Premium unleaded petrol Diesel

retail pre-tax % tax take retail pre-tax % tax take

Jan 1990 38.4 15.7 59% 39.2 16.8 57%

Jan 1991 42.1 17.2 59% 43.3 15.8 64%

Jan 1992 43.4 14.6 66% 43.2 14.9 66%

Jan 1993 47.1 16.7 65% 47.1 17.2 63%

Jan 1994 50.8 14.9 71% 51.7 16.3 68%

Jan 1995 53.4 14.2 74% 54.1 14.8 73%

Jan 1996 55.9 13.3 76% 57.4 14.6 75%

Jan 1997 61.1 15.1 75% 62.0 15.9 74%

Jan 1998 63.1 13.5 79% 63.3 13.6 78%

Jan 1999 62.9 9.5 85% 64.0 9.4 85%

Jan 2000 75.4 16.9 78% 77.8 19.0 76%

Jan 2001 76.9 16.6 78% 81.6 20.7 75%

Jan 2002 69.9 13.7 80% 74.7 17.7 76%

Jan 2003 75.0 18.0 76% 76.4 19.2 75%

Jan 2004 76.2 17.8 77% 77.9 19.2 75%

Jan 2005 79.0 20.1 75% 84.2 24.5 71%

Jan 2006 88.8 28.5 68% 93.1 32.1 66%

Jan 2007 86.9 25.6 71% 91.4 29.5 68%

Jan 2008 103.7 37.9 63% 108.7 42.2 61%

Jan 2009 86.3 22.7 74% 98.7 33.5 66%

Jan 2010 111.5 38.7 65% 113.3 40.2 64%

Oct 2010 117.2 41.6 65% 120.6 44.4 63%

Nov 2010 118.7 42.8 64% 122.5 46.0 62%

Dec 2010 121.6 45.3 63% 125.8 48.8 61%

Jan 2011 127.9 47.6 63% 132.3 51.3 61%

To be fair since the oil price peak of about $140 in 2008 it looks as if there's been a significant amount of price gouging all round, both in fuel tax terms and in pre tax price - and it's not as if there was any reluctance for price gouging before then.

The gouging has been so deep that helps to disguise the tax take as the percentage tax has stayed pretty level but the actual amount taken in tax has increased hugely.

'Tis truly Treasure Island.

Edited February 9, 2011 by billybong

[Sledgehead]

Actually Petrol is FREE at Tescos : Sky

[longtomsilver]

I just checked what WeBuyAnyCar offers, so stuck my car in and they have offered about 50% of the avg asking price (added up all asking prices and divided by number of cars) from autotrader!

They must be coining it in on resale values.

It was an 09plate Citroen C1 VT with 13k on the clock got £4,300 for it. See how much they go for on eBay, £3.8k if i'm lucky. Sure it'll be marked up at £4,995 at carland but somebody will buy it for that on a 14.9%APR loan. They are in a better position to sell it than me and removing all the hassle would have been worth £500 and not just the £79 admin fee they charged me.

Just noticed you said '50% of asking' that scores you a D- for a HPCer or an A* on the easier MSE paper

Edited February 9, 2011 by tomposh101

[billybong]

Actually Petrol is FREE at Tescos : Sky

So has Brett got himself £230 worth of petrol for nothing? If Tesco refuse to accept his coins, is it their problem?

..

..

Trading Standards officer David Sanders says, "The situation is difficult to resolve and the customer is being unreasonable unless he asks beforehand if coinage in large quantities is acceptable.

There are legal tender laws to meet that exact situation and the customer claims he has met the legal tender limits. Legally he doesn't have to ask beforehand.

Not only that but he was kind enough to ensure the risk of counterfeit money was negligible as he went away and got new coins from the Post Office which Tesco refused.

More than can be said for banks pushing euros across the counter to customers in say Ireland where they are officially counterfeiting euros.

It seems as if Tesco are breaking the law and they are as good as admitting that by saying they will accept the cash in their cash machines. No wonder the police didn't want to get involved.

Couldn't one of the Tesco assistants have interrupted some of their continual colleague chat and counted the coins.

Tesco seem to be the ones breaking the law.

Edited February 9, 2011 by billybong

[Sledgehead]

There are legal tender laws to meet that exact situation and the customer claims he has met the legal tender limits. Legally he doesn't have to ask beforehand.

Not only that but he was kind enough to ensure the risk of counterfeit money was negligible as he went away and got cash from the Post Office.

More than can be said for banks offering euros to customers in say Ireland where they are officially counterfeiting euros.

It seems as if Tesco are breaking the law and they are as good as admitting that by saying they will accept the cash in their cash machines. No wonder the police didn't want to get involved.

Couldn't one of the Tesco assistants have interrupted some of their continual colleague chat and counted the coins.

Tesco seem to be the ones breaking the law.

Absolutely.

An interesting twist would be to ask for cashback at the Tescos till - in £1 coins, and then take this over to the petrol outlet. When the coppers turn up inform them you too have suspicions about the coins. When they insist on revealing where you obtained the coins point in the general direction of the store whilst producing the cashback receipt and mobile phone footage of the transaction.

Edited February 9, 2011 by Sledgehead