Motoring Matters

Growing fury as petrol price reaches £1.40 per litre

Campaign group Fare Fuel UK, last night warned of a fuel price ‘crisis’, as the cost of a litre of unleaded petrol rose to £1.40 at a BP Garage in Kent.

It makes a substantial difference to last month’s average price of £1.28 and the instability in the Middle East could see fuel prices rise to a record high of £2.00 per litre. 

Chancellor George Osborne signalled he was ready to ease the pressure on motorists by dropping the increase in fuel duty in his Budget later this month.

Read More: Daily Mail

Price Of Petrol Falls In Europe, But Climbs In UK

Petrol retailers were accused of profiteering yesterday as new figures showed that the price of petrol in Britain has hit a new high while prices had fallen substantially across the rest of Europe.

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.

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

Read the full story from The Telegraph
Image from telegraph.co.uk

Cost of Fuel Is Hitting Profits

Struggling firms are turning down work because of the high cost of fuel, it was revealed yesterday. Bosses say petrol and diesel is now so expensive that it is not cost-effective to take on delivery work.

One haulier said last year he paid £6.2million in fuel duty – 20 per cent of his £30million turnover. And he warned that the Government’s next planned fuel duty increase – 1p a litre plus inflation in April – will cost his firm another £378,000 a year.

Full artilce: Daily Express
Image from bbc.co.uk

Do Your Duty

The Sun has launched a campaign and petition to encourage Chancellor George Osborne to freeze the price of petrol. The petition follows the news that Britons are forking out £12milliion more a day to fill up than a year ago.

All the details of the Keep It Down campaign can be found here.
Image from autotrader.co.uk

Keeping Motorists Happy

Conservative ministers introduced a series of pro-car measures yesterday and declared the end of Labour’s alleged “war on motorists”.

The Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and Transport Secretary Philip Hammond scrapped rules forcing councils to impose higher parking charges, limit car spaces in new housing developments and obtain planning permission for recharging points for electric vehicles. They said drivers would benefit from lower parking fees and more space, while streets would become less congested.

Labour accused the Coalition of trying to distract drivers from sharp rises in petrol prices caused by this month’s rise in duty and VAT.

Full story here
Image from: uk.cars.yahoo.com

Average Petrol Price Reaches Record High

The price of petrol has hit a new average high of 121.76p a litre, with the AA accusing oil companies and retailers of profiteering. They, however, have hit back, blaming soaring oil and wholesale fuel prices for the increase.

It means every gallon of fuel now costs £5.53½. And filling up the average family car comes to a hefty £60.88. Prices are likely to rise even higher in the New Year when the VAT rate increases by 2.5 per cent to 20 per cent.

Full Story: Daily Mail 
Image taken from thisislondon.co.uk

Britain Wastes £172 On Petrol Each Year

Impulsive Britons waste more than £2,000 a year by failing to plan ahead on purchases from petrol to pizzas, according to new research.

Last-minute spending on everyday items can add up to a staggering £43 per week. The survey of 1,000 adults by banking giant First Direct reveals that seven in ten (71 per cent) adults said they regularly fail to plan ahead on their spending, despite admitting that they have paid too much for items as a result.

Almost one in four drivers (23 per cent) fill up their car with petrol or diesel at their nearest garage rather than shopping around, wasting up to £172 a year. This is despite 34 per cent saying they paid for petrol only to see it cheaper elsewhere afterwards.

Read more: Daily Mail
Image from firstlessons.co.uk

Motoring Matters Highlights The Real Voice Of The UK Motorist

During April, the top five most discussed or debated issues were:

1. Petrol Prices
2. Potholes
3. Showroom Tax
4. Lorry Overtaking Ban
5. Speed Camera Trials
   

1. Petrol Prices Increasing
   

As petrol passed the record 119p/litre threshold in April, motorists were most concerned about the impact on monthly household bills, the ability to keep the family car running, and the negative effect it would have on small businesses.

Although 80% of the online chatter was negative, blaming the rise squarely on the Government’s ‘unfair tax’, there were those who argued that fuel duty was a fairer way to levy users because it was based on a ‘pay as you drive’ principle.

Sample Comment: “If I remember correctly, the fuel tax etc was originally imposed to help cover our military costs to safeguard the pipelines in Aden and Far East. Well we’ve been out of Aden for 50 years, so why need this tax anymore and why does it keep increasing?” asks an Auto Express reader on an online forum

2. Potholes

 Although the vast majority of the public (75%) welcomed the Government’s emergency £100m ‘pothole’ fund, many questioned whether it was enough.

Also with the motorist already contributing significant revenue in the form of road and fuel duty, there was confusion as to why the local authorities we’re having to go ‘cap in hand’ to the Treasury to fund the repairs.

Sample Comment: “I’d just like to see those funds put straight back into fixing the roads and not on these elaborate trials of systems they have no intention of using” said one person in response to a Daily Mail article.

3. Showroom Tax

The arrival of the new ‘Showroom Tax’ was greeted with anger and dismay. Despite its ‘green intentions’ to push more people into lower CO2 vehicles, more than 85% of comments saw it as “a further swipe at the UK motorist” and “another money making scheme for the Government”.

Equally so, it was obvious that the scheme had not been communicated properly with many questioning how it would work.

Sample Comment: “This government is very confused and disingenuous in my opinion” commented one person in response to an Auto Express article.

4. Lorry Overtaking Ban

Lorry overtaking, or ‘elephant racing’ as it is often known, has been banned at certain locations across the country on a trial basis.

The news was unanimously greeted as a positive step that will improve safety and reduce traffic congestion.

Sample Comment:  “They need to bring this to the A1(M) and other roads or motorways that only have two lanes” suggested a Pistonheads forum member in a thread discussing the worst affected locations in the UK.

5. Secret trial of new speed cameras

Secret trials of new speed camera technology hit a raw nerve with drivers, prompting an influx of negative feedback.

More than 90% felt the latest cameras were a waste of public money and yet another signal that the Government planned to ‘steal’ from the motorist.

Around 55% argue that speed cameras do not improve safety and 40% claim the UK’s roads would be no different without them.

Sample Comment:  “Speed cameras, just like potholes, cause accidents on the UK roads so let’s stop ploughing money into increasing the numbers of speed cameras and start chucking it at the appalling conditions of our roads and motorways.” From the Daily Telegraph