Forums Forums National News Anger rises as petrol pushes 120p a litre

THE rocketing price of fuel has left Bolton motorists fuming, forcing some to use their cars less.

The cost of a litre approached record highs this weekend, pushing 120p.

A record average high of 119.7p was set in July, 2008, when diesel peaked at 133.25p. A year ago, fuel at the pumps was about 30p a litre cheaper.

Petrol pump prices vary at petrol stations around the town, and drivers filling up at the Esso garage in Bradford Street, Bolton, were paying 118.9p a litre.

The recent price hike has been caused by soaring wholesale petrol prices — from $680 a tonne a month ago to approaching $800 now — coupled with fuel duty rises.

A 1p duty increase was added on Thursday, with further penny increases planned for September and January. Motorist Eric MacDonald, aged 64, who owns a car recovery business in Bury, said: “The prices are not bringing a smile to anyone’s face.

“I do quite a bit of driving but it is just getting so expensive.

“It has a knock-on effect because now I am having to put my prices up for customers to cover it.

“No-one goes for a pleasure drive anymore to take the kids for a day out because it is just so costly.”

Sarah Pendlebury, aged 37, from Bolton, said: “I try to walk more often rather than use the car.

“I get a petrol allowance from work, but it does not incorporate the price rises.

“It just keeps getting higher and higher.”

Michelle Brown, aged 41, a legal secretary from Breightmet, said: “The price is scandalous. They are making so much money on taxes.

“The price of oil had been dropping but that has not been passed on to the customers.

“I walk two miles to work because it is just getting more and more expensive to drive.”

Retired Barry Manville, aged 61, from Harwood, said: “A couple of years ago people were protesting when it was 112p and now it is 119p and no-one seems to be bothered which I don’t understand.

“People just seem to be accepting that it will rise.

“The government has increased it, but the oil price has not gone up that much so someone is making a lot of money somewhere at the consumers’ expense.”

Paul Watters, the AA’s head of public affairs, said that as the petrol prices rise, sales at the pump fall.

He added: “We know through our AA/Populus surveys that £1.10 is the point at which UK drivers’ tolerance of rising fuel prices begins to run low.

“With greater restriction on family budgets from pay restraints, lower savings income and other fallout from the credit crunch, it should come as no surprise that rising fuel costs started to hit sales below that point.

"We have consistently argued that putting more fuel duty on petrol and diesel while prices are this high inflicts more pain for no gain.“

Something has to give. Big companies like the petrol giants or the banks can't keep screwing the common people for ever. More and more in our society the "little" people are paying for the greed of the big business'. Anyone noticed how prices have gone up in the shops over the last year? Who's paying a mortgage of over 4% when the base rate has been under 1% for a year? Two of my mates have been declard bankrupt in the last few months and they didn't exactly have massive debts, something has to give soon.

i pisses us all off but what can we do NOTHING we just have to accept it and take it up the tail pipe. one garage round here is charging 122 a litre needless to say the forecourt is not very full

Surprised they aren't doing their best to keep prices down before the general 'election'.

Anyone remember petrol it was 103.9 two months ago? There is no reasoning behind the ridiculous price hikes, petrol is more vital than other commodities as it's needed to go to and from work, and for businesses to keep running. This is a few pence off the record high prices that we saw (and paid) in late 2008.
Would the energy companies get away with the same rapidly fluctuating prices? I can't believe it can go from 92p last summer to what it is now in the space of 9 months.

WHere is this article from Violet?

m8 the goverment are raking a small fortune of this so why would they want to fight against it i dont think the rake so much in off gas and electric so if they fight against that it looks as if they are doing somthing good for us

we should find a petrol station prepared to drop its prices and all use that one and boycot all the others until they drop there prices or do what the french do and all get together and turn all the motorways into giant car parks until the government back down its up to us stand up not lie down and roll over

People are too lazy to shop around. There are always plenty of mugs filling up in that BP petrol station in Greasby despite the fact that it is always more expensive, sometimes by as much as 5p per litre than the Shell and Sainsburys petrol stations in upton just 2 minutes drive away.

Talking poop there. If a garage drops it's price they will lose out. Mark up on petrol is only 3p per litre at most.

Only way garages make money is from cigs sales and stock inside the garage.

if they triple there income by lowering there prices and still sell three times the shop items then doesnt that make good buisness sense ?

Your missing the point.

If you lower the price of the petrol so you make 1p per litre thats only £400 for a whole tanker. Some garages only take 2 tankers a week.

People ain't going to use a cheap garage for fuel and pay £1.50 for a can of coke. £1 for a mars bar are they?

The garage take around 1% of the profit, which must be a lot considering the amount that is sold everyday.

just got from tesco 117.9.