I've noticed over the last few weeks the Government has increased the price of petrol/diesel to an almost ridiculous level.

I am absolutely fed up with motorists being the scape goat for all the governments bad spending decisions. It seems like whenever there is a shortfall of cash the government simply increases the price of petrol/diesel to compensate.

Are there any places where I can signup for a petition against the ridiculous petrol/diesel prices currently?

I don't think the government has done anything with the taxes on petrol or diesel. It's just that the price of crude oil has jumped up massively recently.

also I think the oil companies are not really doing much wrong.

They are working in a way that businesses would do. If there is a great demand then why not increase prices? people wil always pay the highest price for petrol and diesel.

If it went upto 1.10p today or tommorrow and you had an empty tank would you fill up?.....course you would!

As for decreasing taxes! yes why not.... it would keep the price at a reasonable level. how little drop would be reasonable?If we could drop the amount of petrol duty then the governement would have even less money than they do now for health and education etc.

I was in marbella last week with work and they pay just over 1 euro per litre! around 75p! cheap as chips! But they don't have any way near the same quality government services as we get in the UK.

If you don't want to pay a fortune at the pumps then drive a more economical car...it doesn't mean you lose the fun in driving! plus a hike in petrol by 5p a litre is not costing us the world is it?

for example if the petrol price rose from 96.9 by 5p then the figures would be similar to below

45 * 96.9 = £43.60 at present

45 * 101.9 = £45.85 in the future

only £2.25 more.... what you complaining about? you tight gets!

it's time to complain about more important things!

But they don't have any way near the same quality government services as we get in the UK.:confused:

Are you living in the same England that the rest of us are living in!!!!!!

Trouble is the governement would have to increase income tax if they decreased fuel duty.

Trouble is the governement would have to increase income tax if they decreased fuel duty.

I think that would that would be the right thing to do, at the moment only about 1 tenth of the tax paid by motorists is used on the road system, therefore we're being used to subsidise general taxation. In effect, all those car hating self righteous activivists are being subsidised by the very people they hate. If increased general taxation is required then that's what should happen, don't see why motorists should pay an unequal share.

In effect, all those car hating self righteous activivists are being subsidised by the very people they hate.

That is brilliantly summed up. I always resented the fact that road tax wasn't used to just fund roads but never though of it quite like that. I expect most of us could cope if they invested all road tax purely in transport, ie roads, railways and buses and then a bit for health and the police.

That is brilliantly summed up. I always resented the fact that road tax wasn't used to just fund roads but never though of it quite like that. I expect most of us could cope if they invested all road tax purely in transport, ie roads, railways and buses and then a bit for health and the police[/b'].

[my bold]

I too object to putting motorist money into general coffers, as if motorists are somehow wealthier :ne_nau:

I suspect most of "a bit for health and the police" is long gone on the budget for new speed cams, according to sites posted on here which show the cost of the programmes under development for these :(

Grumpy

Mo

Paid £1.029 ltr for super U on Sunday.

I'd still hate this government though, even if they reduced it to 50p

I suspect most of "a bit for health and the police" is long gone on the budget for new speed cams' date=' according to sites posted on here which show the cost of the programmes under development for these :(

[/quote']

Speed cameras are self financing from the revenue they generate

for example if the petrol price rose from 96.9 by 5p then the figures would be similar to below

45 * 96.9 =

since i started driving i think fuel has risin by about 20p a litre, in my current car thats a difference of about

and what can you do about it?

Nout!

just pay it and feel happy that your money is being well spent by our wonderful government!

And the yanks are moaning about it nearly reaching $3.00 a gallon! I mean now that is tight!

I would happly pay just

and what can you do about it?

Nout!

just pay it and feel happy that your money is being well spent by our wonderful government!

And the yanks are moaning about it nearly reaching $3.00 a gallon! I mean now that is tight!

I would happly pay just

In the states they are used to paying very low prices for fuel and are horrified that prices have doubled.

Even at their $3 a gallon prices now it may seem like a bargain but they don't have the NHS and pay a fortune in health insurance , and in general have a lot less holiday than we do.

It's swings and roundabouts really.

Not sure about the comparisons with the USA - yes, relative to us their fuel is cheaper, but then considering each state alone is probably larger than the UK, personal mobility becomes much more of an issue.

The US also don't have a National Health Service to support via taxation...

Edit: Doh, beaten to it by Dr Z.

Rob.

I don't think the government has done anything with the taxes on petrol or diesel. It's just that the price of crude oil has jumped up massively recently.

also I think the oil companies are not really doing much wrong.

They are working in a way that businesses would do. If there is a great demand then why not increase prices? people wil always pay the highest price for petrol and diesel.

If it went upto 1.10p today or tommorrow and you had an empty tank would you fill up?.....course you would!

As for decreasing taxes! yes why not.... it would keep the price at a reasonable level. how little drop would be reasonable?If we could drop the amount of petrol duty then the governement would have even less money than they do now for health and education etc.

I was in marbella last week with work and they pay just over 1 euro per litre! around 75p! cheap as chips! But they don't have any way near the same quality government services as we get in the UK.

If you don't want to pay a fortune at the pumps then drive a more economical car...it doesn't mean you lose the fun in driving! plus a hike in petrol by 5p a litre is not costing us the world is it?

for example if the petrol price rose from 96.9 by 5p then the figures would be similar to below

45 * 96.9 =

:iagree:

Thats the most sensible post you've ever made !

EVER (only joking Chris)

I think fuel prices are too high, and the government could help out by reducing the tax burden. Taxes in the UK are currently the highest they have ever been, to fund Gordon Brown's massive public spending programme. In Scotland over 55% of all jobs are in the public sector - that can't be right.

In the states they are used to paying very low prices for fuel and are horrified that prices have doubled.

Even at their $3 a gallon prices now it may seem like a bargain but they don't have the NHS and pay a fortune in health insurance ' date=' and in general have a lot less holiday than we do.

It's swings and roundabouts really.[/quote']

true but then we all pay national insurance (well working folk do).

My point should have been in the sense of they pay so little and yet use so much.

Maybe if they didn't have such big engines (is it really needed?) I'd be more understanding.

In the states they are used to paying very low prices for fuel and are horrified that prices have doubled.

Even at their $3 a gallon prices now it may seem like a bargain but they don't have the NHS and pay a fortune in health insurance ' date=' and in general have a lot less holiday than we do.

It's swings and roundabouts really.[/quote']Yeah, spot on.

They also have some of the worst roads as well. Before you all start slagging off our roads, stop. I have driven on most of the continents roads (including Aussie) :thumbdwn: and can honestly say our roads are top notch in comparison.

Maybe if they didn't have such big engines (is it really needed?) I'd be more understanding.

Quite possibly - it's not uncommon for a trip "to the shops" to be 30 miles each way in the US...if you're doing that sort of mileage, a larger engine will be less strained and so will last longer...

Rob.

Yeah' date=' spot on.

They also have some of the worst roads as well. Before you all start slagging off our roads, stop. I have driven on most of the continents roads (including Aussie) :thumbdwn: and can honestly say our roads are top notch in comparison. [/quote']

That's probably 'cause you're in Cumbria, I like your roads too! Cumbria has the best roads I've drived on in the UK, I'd be tempted to give maybe half my right arm for a road of the quality of the A590 to be near me. In comparison I spend my time in 2 places, the UK and Southern Germany. The German roads are utterly sublime, smooth, well maintained etc, the roads I drive on in Manchester/Salford and London have holes so big I could lose my car down them. Never driven on a German (or French) motorway that has subsidence like the M40 or M62, floods like the M60, or has caused an indicator repeater to detach from the front wing like the 'jolt' on the M5 near Dudley has done either. The only advantage I see with the UK motorways are the extra cats eyes for night driving.

The problem with high fuel costs in the UK is government levels of taxation, that's it, full stop, i.e. the 75p or so in each litre added to fund Gordon the pension snatcher, the oil companies themselves charge the same in all countries, yet it isn't over a pound a go in France, Germany or Ireland - and these countries have better health care, pensions etc than we do. In the UK we pay a lot of tax, a lot is put into public services but ther aren't administered efficiently so we don't get the value from our tax. It';s a sad fact, the British simply don't make good managers.

The thing is though, to keep the tax gained from fuel tax, insurance premium tax, air ticket tax and (all) the other stealth taxes would mean an easily measurable tax 'bill' (if it were added onto Income tax instead), whereas now the fact that we now have the highest tax burden in the country's history is more easily hidden. The German or Irish income tax rate may be higher, but they pay less stealth taxes, overall tax burden is probably comparable but more evenly distributed instead of lumped on the motorist. Council tax at my relatives house in Galway is about 350 Euro's a year, mine in Manchester is UK£1,300, do I get more? Do I funk. Smoke and mirrors. Must stop ranting...:(

how long have you been driving out of interest?

i've only been a motorist for about 7 or 8 years and i have seen quite a jump in fuel prices myself.

it might only be £2.50 this time' date=' but it was also a £2.50 just the last 5 times and will be the next 5 times:mad:

since i started driving i think fuel has risin by about 20p a litre, in my current car thats a difference of about £63 now compared to £50, thats quite a difference to some people who drive 60k+ or so a year.[/quote']

I have been driving since march 2000.

Yes the price of petrol has increased alot since I started but generally other things have increased in similar amounts.

I am really tight with my money ASWELL but I know that the increase is needed because of the problems in the world we live in. It's easy to just disregard all the oil problems/shortages around the world but we can't as it's just not sustainable. The shortages have an affect on the price of petrol and because demand is always going up and supplies are ever diminishing the price will go up all the time! You have just got to think. It's easy for me to see this because I have done a business Degree and it helps to see this more clearly. (not meant to be patronising just explaining why some people think they have just put the price up for a laugh)

I have had a 1.1 fiesta , a 1.2 clio and now soon a furbie VRS 1.9tdi which all have a similar MPG which is good and the price of diesel and petrol was something I used to make my decision of what car I wanted/could afford.

If you think you are paying too much for petrol you need to get a more economical car!

what car have you got out of interest Bengie??

:iagree:

Thats the most sensible post you've ever made !

thanks Goochie:thumbup:

You have just got to think. It's easy for me to see this because I have done a business Degree and it helps to see this more clearly.

Does anybody else find this completely patronising ?

I'm sure it wasn't intended to be.

I understand the principles of a commodity market, and of course I agree to an extent that the government needs to take steps to try to reduce car use. However this does not justify the fact that fuel prices in the UK are amongst the highest in the world, primarily due to the level of taxation.

I would love to cycle to work, or take the train, in fact I don't think anybody in their right mind chooses to sit in three lanes of stationary traffic for an hour just to get to work, but the sad fact is that public transport is not a viable alternative on the majority of journeys undertaken.