I looked at those numbers and saw:

Jan - Apr 07 UL 49.5% vs DSL 50.5%

Overall 2007 UL 48.5% vs DSL 51.5%

Jan - Apr 08 UL 47.5% vs DSL 52.5%

The diesel/petrol pirce gap has increased with the increased proportional demand for diesel.

That small change doesn't explain why when you take the tax off , unleaded used to be about 26.2p and diesel 28.8 - ten percent higher for diesel.

Now it's 26.2 and 39.9 - fifty two percent more than unleaded.

That small change doesn't explain why when you take the tax off , unleaded used to be about 26.2p and diesel 28.8 - ten percent higher for diesel.

Now it's 26.2 and 39.9 - fifty two percent more than unleaded.

It may be a small change to you but if demand is rising and supply is tight or fixed then prices will be set at those margins. So far any evidence provided has shown that typically more petrol is refined than diesel which would also support my argument here. I'm afraid you'll have to try harder.

If what you say is true, I'm astonished that the Daily "Hate" and the "Sleazy" Express have not been running front pages apoplectic with rage for months as the price gap has widened.

Heads-up people, Alistair Darling gives a PBR on Monday. Having just had 2p a litre cut this week and falling oil prices tempered by the collapse in Sterling, I shall be putting in 40 litres this weekend just to be on the safe side.

Diesel is currently high as the Chinese use massive amounts of it for electricity generation. The chinese government sets the price of all fuels, and thus Sinopec (Chinese Oil Co) had to sell Petrol / Diesel at a loss when oil was $150 a barrell. Sensibly they reduced the amount they refined to minimise their losses, and thus China sucked in Diesel Galore to fill the gaps typically on contracts that last 3 months - 1 year - this shorted the market and hence diesel is so slow in falling.

Good news on the horizon is there is a new distillates refinery in Rotterdam due to open next year massively increasing the amount of diesel availalble, then it should drop back nicely.. so drag for the big boys they want to drag there heels for a while knowing fully well you are going to have no excuse in the near future!

High diesel prices are due to 'supply & demand' and the lack of refinery capacity in the UK. Diesel prices are lower in the rest of th euro zone. More people have changed to diesel over the last few years, but the majority of diesel users are most likely to be businesses. The lower petrol price is probably being underpinned by higher diesel prices.

Rip off Britain!

Just paid 92.9 for super unleaded @ Sainsburys.

Unleaded was 89.9 and Diesel.....will who gives a duck as i drive a Petrol.:P

You might not drive a diesel, but everything you buy in the shops has been delivered by a truck that uses diesel, your petrol has been delivered by a tanker that uses diesel, so somewhere along the line you are paying for higher diesel prices.

Heads-up people, Alistair Darling gives a PBR on Monday. Having just had 2p a litre cut this week and falling oil prices tempered by the collapse in Sterling, I shall be putting in 40 litres this weekend just to be on the safe side.

lol, now there's talk of a VAT rate cut so there might be a cut in fuel, fill up or not? :rubchin:

lol, now there's talk of a VAT rate cut so there might be a cut in fuel, fill up or not? :rubchin:

The few pence a litre difference either way is only a pound of so on a tank full of fuel so it's really not worth worrying about

if it goes up 2p or they know 2p off then its only going to be £1.20 difference and the next fill up is going to cost the new price no matter what. reading some of the papers today they are all guessing at a 2.5% drop in vat which will bring petrol down just under 2p

lol, now there's talk of a VAT rate cut so there might be a cut in fuel, fill up or not? :rubchin:

1601 Alcohol, tobacco and petrol taxes will be raised to offset the VAT cut, Mr Darling says.

:lol: Negate the VAT cut on my single biggest VAT expense

I don't quite get what they are doing here.

Increase tax (2p at a guess) then take off 2.5% VAT?

So fuel prices will go marginally up and that wouldn't gain them anything. I'm thinking more of a 4p per litre tax increase.

I don't quite get what they are doing here.

Increase tax (2p at a guess) then take off 2.5% VAT?

So fuel prices will go marginally up and that wouldn't gain them anything. I'm thinking more of a 4p per litre tax increase.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/24_11_08_pbr_completereport.pdf

p141

Fuel duty

7.38 It is the Government’s policy that fuel duty rates should rise each year at least in line with inflation as the UK seeks to reduce polluting emissions and fund public services. However, in response to record peaks in fuel prices earlier this year, the Chancellor announced that the 2 pence per litre increase planned for April 2008 would be postponed.

7.39 As a result of falling oil prices, pump prices have now fallen by more than 20 pence per litre from their July peaks. The Pre-Budget Report therefore announces that the 2 pence per litre increase in fuel duty planned for 2008 will now take place on 1 December 2008.

However, as a result of the 2.5 per cent cut in VAT this December, the cost of petrol and diesel will fall for private motorists who should see no increase in the price they pay at the pump this year from this measure.

7.40 The Pre-Budget Report also confirms that, as pre-announced in Budget 2008, main fuel duties will further increase by:

1.84 pence per litre on 1 April 2009; and

0.5 pence per litre above indexation on 1 April 2010.

7.41 Duty rates for rebated oils will also rise in proportion to main road fuel duties on these dates. The duty differential for compressed natural gas will be maintained until 2010-11 and the differential for liquefied petroleum gas will decrease by 1 pence per litre on these same dates.

Ahhh excellent, keep shafting the motorist.

Why don't they have a fine tax, where anyone who gets a fine has 17.5% added to the cost of the fine in tax. Obviously if you regularly commit crimes or are broke they don't charge you this.

What on earth are they playing at?

What on earth are they playing at?

The Dummies Guide to Managing an Economy?

i liked the way they first announce 2.5% drop on vat then minutes later add it back on by adding it as fuel tax, so much for helping businesses as they be able to claim less back now.. not much help for the transport industry again.

Makes for a depressing analysis.....

Petrol Prices

I don't buy this India/Chinese Diesel demand forcing up prices argument at all. The price of Diesel in India is cheaper than petrol at the pumps or at least in Kerala when I was there last year. There has always been a demand for heating fuel in the winter as well??? I think the fact that there is such a huge differential is purely down to the fact that more and more people are driving Diesel cars. I love the torque of a Diesel but I fear my current car will be my first and last oil burner. Diesel is just sitting there at £1.15 in my area while unleaded is dipping all the time.

India and China both set the price of petrol/diesel, so the price at the pump is massively subsidised.

Diesel is down to 104.9 here now, 89.9 for UL.