Forums Forums Wirral Information Wirral info Petrol prices

I'm sort on both sides of this one:

Petrol and Diesel feel bl**dy expensive at this moment and they are at "record levels" BUT if prices rose smootly with inflation, they'd always be "record levels" so I'm not sure that this is a valid argument.

I first started noticing fuel prices about 96/97 and I think that they were about 56p a litre for unleaded so we're looking at a 2.5 time increase and i you look at things like the minimum wage that's gone from £3.50 to £6 in that time and say a Mars bar that's doubled in price, then it doesn't look so bad. Cars are also much more efficient than they were back then so your fuel goes further.

I wonder if the erratic nature of fuel prices is what really annoys us - remember that in 2007 U/L and Diesel both went back under a £ a litre after the credit crunch.

It does hurt though when it costs £60 to fill my tank and I drive like a granny now to try and stretch it out for a few more miles.

I cant wait for diesel super tax to start either

If you don't mind me saying, a little more respect please AR-One !!

Nope, won`t stop moi

I don't agree, look at the 1.7 DTi Astra from the time, I think with the Isuzu engine in it, that lump can easily achieve over 70mpg, 60+ combined. The same with the 2.0 Rover L-Series and the 1.7 CDi in the A-Class. The DW10 in the 306 was also pretty frugal. There isn't many cars on the road today that are as efficient/economical as these lumps.

Newer engines struggle for both power and performance because of more and more EU emissions regulations. Though efficiency has probably improved, this has been countered by tougher regulation. Weight as a result of increased safety regulation, has also played a part.


I did say less lol.

Unfortunatly, the price of fuel - like everything is only going to go up.

I did a trip to Guildford and back last week - 500ish mile round trip, and it always surprises me to see the likes of the Toyota Prius and other hybrids sitting in the outside lane and what Id estimate to be triple figures - whats the point...

...there is also the arguement of where their electric power comes from - mainly fossil fueled power stations in the UK.

Id like to see the hydrogen solution pushed a bit harder, rather than the electic option. I guess the which ever government would be in a pickle there, because how can you tax the emmissions when all they produce is water - then there would be a real issue with how tax would be coming in - maybe thats why its not progressing as fast as electric / hybrid cars?

They are company cars that where foisted upon them. The company's they work for took away their Audis and BMWs and gave them Prius's because the company car tax is now a lot cheaper on Eco friendly cars. Despite them now having hybrids, they still just rag them around in the same manner as they did before, or perhaps worse out of spite. Thats my take on it anyway.

water rates?

Lol !

Yup Bang on!

It doesn't matter how much fuel goes up, nobody wants to be seen driving these hybrids around, not even company car drivers. So they screw the living daylights out of them to prove they are not economical.

I had to drive a prius for 3 weeks back in 2010 for a whole 3 weeks after my old car , an A6 , took a smash on the bidston moss roundabout. Its the only car the hire comapny had.

I felt a right Prick in that,I can tell you, and, its ironic that it was a prius that hit me in the first place.

I don't think its a question of whether we can afford the fuel or not, its more a question of why should we pay such a high price for it when our European neighbours don't.

Cars aren't over taxed so you expect to pay what you pay for them.

Stop chatting shit about something that you know nothing about. The current prices of petrol across developed European countries are:

Denmark - €1.77
France - €1.60
Germany - €1.68
Ireland - €1.60
Italy - €1.80
Netherlands - €1.70
Norway - €1.89
Portugal - €1.55
Spain - €1.38
Sweden - €1.63

United Kingdom - €1.60

The only developed European country with significantly cheaper fuel is Spain, and look at the economic mess they're in.

How do you propose we lower the cost of fuel?

Not sure if its changed Matty, but are we still in a minority where our diesel is more than our petrol?

I remember looking at european fuel prices, and Im sure our euro neighbours had cheaper derv than petrol

The duty on both fuels is the same now though, the only that is slightly different, is the VAT duty, thanks to a higher end cost to the consumer (the difference is negligible).

So the increase in price for derv is being created by the industry somewhere, presumably to offset the extra mpg an oil burner benefits from/less fuel purchased (a decent derv still works out cheaper to run though).