Petrol Prices - time to take action

[jonesy]

As long as people continue to buy cars that do less than 30mpg when they could buy one that does 50mpg+, then fuel can't possibly be too expensive. As long as people use their cars when they could use their legs then fuel can't be too expensive. If it is cheap enough to waste then it is cheap enough to tax.

 

[Fab Foodie]

the energy intensive industries yes. the energy efficient ones will get by unscathed. the energy intensive industries have a choice of getting more efficient or putting up their prices, and consequently reducing their demand.

it's a free market and if the wasteful industries go under, it's no great loss globally. global warming is a great loss globally and a part abatement of its problems is a good thing.

it was bound to happen, sooner or later, it being a finite resource.

I can't agree with this.

Energy intensive and Energy efficient are not mutually exclusive.

Example; I worked for BOC Gases for many years, the air separation process to produce Liquid N2, O2 and Ar is hugely energy intensive, in fact one of the biggest Electricity users in the country to the point that they are incentivised to reduce demand on the National grid at peak times like the Queens Speech/Xmas lunch, and other events. No surprise these plants are often next door to Power Stations to reduce transmission losses.
BUT, the use of that energy is incredibly efficient, there are virtually no savings that can be made. Their other major cost is distribution, it's where the profit is made and lost and again they have the most efficient distribution systems imaginable.

Greenhouse production of flowers and veg is also energy intensive, but also very efficient.

Botheindustries were penalised by the climate change levy when they were charged to make energy savings because they could not make any!

Higher energy costs will impact ALL industry... just the less efficient more-so.

 

[PrettyboyTim]

PLEASE HOLD OUT UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE 69p a LITRE RANGE

o

Er.. get real.

Minus tax, the cost of the fuel including trasport, retailer costs etc is about 50p / litre. Excise duty is also about 50p / litre and with VAT on top of that gives us the price of ~ £1.17 that we're seeing at the moment.

So, to get fuel back down to the 69p range, the government would have to reduce the tax it receives from fuel by about 70%. I can't find the figures on how much revenue the Treasury gets from fuel taxes, but I'm pretty confident it's an enormous amount. To reduce that by 70% would be disasterous.

And let's face it - fuel's not about to get cheaper. It may go down a little from its present levels but basically it's going to keep getting more expensive. As a nation we've got to try the best we can to reduce our dependence on oil, and the sooner we do so the better.

We can if we wish, sit there like King Kanute demanding cheaper oil but we'd be far better looking proactively at ways to reduce our oil consumption.

 

[piedwagtail91]

this is just a rehash of one that was sent around some time ago. someone on our towns forum/website said that boycotting certain firms petrol wouldn't make much difference as the independants buy from the big companys anyway.not sure if it's correct but they've got the market sewn up between them anyway.

 

[Jaded]

As long as people continue to buy cars that do less than 30mpg when they could buy one that does 50mpg+, then fuel can't possibly be too expensive. As long as people use their cars when they could use their legs then fuel can't be too expensive. If it is cheap enough to waste then it is cheap enough to tax.

Amen to that.

 

[bonj2]

sounds great, but how do you buy petrol without buying it from esso or bp?
and don't say supermarkets, 'cos who do you think THEY get it from?

 

[Joe]

Get used to it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil

I don't drive so I'm all for more tax on petrol

Not loving the increasing food prices etc though.

 

[Milo]

Cost of eveything will rise and bikes.

 

[gavintc]

We are partly to blame for destablising the middle east through our less than legal invasion of Iraq. Personally, I think the proposal to stop buying fuel as a protest is completely futile.

 

[domd1979]

Invasion of Iraq was down to Bush and Blair deciding that they wanted control of the oil there...!!

We are partly to blame for destablising the middle east through our less than legal invasion of Iraq.

 

[gavintc]

Invasion of Iraq was down to Bush and Blair deciding that they wanted control of the oil there...!!

A resounding success! Predictable before the first shot was fired.

 

[ufkacbln]

I am involved in a similar thread on an american music board at the moment...they are all up in arms as well and they pay less than half what we do.

This attitude was summed up in an interview last year............


I can't understand how gasoline prces are so high when we now own Iraq!

 

[ufkacbln]

More efficient use would be more effective.....

Most cars are 20 -35% more efficient at 55mph than 80mph.

Drive at 55mph and cut petrol consumption by 30% - now that would be a permanent way of hitting the companies in their pockets, more effective than a boycott.

 

[domd1979]

Yep, absolutely.

A resounding success! Predictable before the first shot was fired.

 

[Horace Goes Skiing]

Don't worry, the price will be coming back down soon enough. Oil is currently in the throes of a speculative bubble and the price has soared beyond a sensible level.

All that money that was once going into property is now going into commodities like oil. This bubble will inevitably burst just like the property bubble, the price of oil will drop and the speculators money will go off to inflate something else...tulips perhaps?