Petrol duty and VAT rises to add to fuel price pain
Sniffle774
Posts: 20,290 Forum Member
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Happy New Year Motorists.
BBC News.
Ouch. Will car journeys soon become a 'luxury' for some ?
Looming petrol duty and VAT rises are to push record petrol prices higher.
On New Years Day, a government fuel duty increase will put another 0.76p on to both petrol and diesel. And on 4 January, the rise in VAT from 17.5% to 20% will mean another price rise.
The AA estimates that the two increases will add around 3.5p to the cost of a litre of both petrol and diesel.
The average price of unleaded petrol in the UK stands at 124.16p, according to Experian Catalist.
This time last year petrol was at 107.74p a litre and diesel at 109.46p.
Diesel currently costs, on average, 128.35p a litre - some five pence below its record high of July 2008.
BBC News.
Ouch. Will car journeys soon become a 'luxury' for some ?
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Comments
On a car with a 60 litre fuel tank capacity, it would have cost £71.34p to fill the tank at 118.9p per litre, to fill the tank at present prices i.e £124.9 would be £74.94, a difference of £3.60 on a full tank full, would suggest it is not a bank breaker for lots of motorists (providing I have done my sums right)
I also read this morning that season tickets for the south east railways have went through the £5000 p.a mark. Shocking!!
It wasnt that long ago I could fill my car (60L) tank up for less that £60, going not that far back even for £50. So at a time when fuel (gas / electric) is up, food is up and wages frozen for most it all adds to the squeeze.
I would suggest that the majority of motorists won't give up their cars because fuel is expensive, but may perhaps attempt to cut down their use of the car.
Your point is made every time the price goes up. What you say is pretty much correct. Motorists will still find money to drive their cars. Public transport is too costly and inefficient for a family use compared to the car.
However, your point assumes a one off rise. What the problem is is that the price is going up pretty much all the time. It's going to add up, and just means a little less to spend elsewhere. Few months in future the price of oil may go up and push prices up even more. Could be more duty rises in the future.
It's a few pounds extra to fill up the car this time round. Next time prices go up it will be a few more pounds then.
VAT needs to be reduced to 5% on fuel and the duty needs to be cut as well.
I still think the actual price of oil minus the tax is very good price for the product. Fact of the matter is the main cost of fuel for vehicles is heavily and unjustifiably taxed to a high level. This will not help the economy and Labour, Tory, Lib Dem and other looney parties don't seem to get that.
Obvious I know, but that's the only way to make a saving.
I did. Gave up driving two years agao as it was just an expensive luxury that I could do with out and don't really miss. Driving is pretty pointless in London anyway.
Even though I do support motorists and lower fuel costs. I do feel your idea is a very good one. I don't think there is need to have vehicles with these massive engines when there are alternatives. Smaller engined cars are a very good idea and should be taken up with people in this country.
No need to be driving around in a 2.0 litre engine when you can easily get by in a 1.4 or 1.1 engine.
Whilst I realise that diesel fuel is more expensive than unleaded, I have a small diesel engine (1.5), that (according to the on board computer) is doing something in the region of 35-37 mpg on local trips, and in the region of 55-57 mpg on a longish run, would that work out cheaper than a small engined petrol car used on the same basis?
Not many people in cities need cars - this should be a good time to get rid of them
Try:
Switching off at traffic lights / jams etc.
Moderating your speed.
Driving in such a way as to avoid heavy braking.
Switch off the AC unless you're in the Sahara.
And maybe:
If you see a nice long hill and traffic isn't nose to tail, flick the lever into neutral. Go on: live a bit.
There's a great downhill between J9 and J8 on the M25, which I regularly take with engine off in heavy traffic. Not for the faint-hearted, but that's where you hit the fuel companies. It can even IMPROVE road safety if such a driving style is undertaken with good concentration.
you do need cars even in cities, for some uses there really is no alternative.
If you turn the engine off dont your brakes stop working?
If you keep pressing the brake pedal eventually the vacuum runs out on the servo, and on my car the steering would be extremely stiff without the engine running
At some undetermined point they will lose their power boost. Never really found exactly when - I switch on if I look like having to brake.
Not many though - most could do without a car
Actually in a modern fuel injected engine coasting in gear uses no fuel whatsoever and you still have power steering and full brakes. (obviously no good in stop/start heavy traffic though)
For a family I think public transport use as primary source of transport is not a good idea. Very costly unless you live in a part of a country in which everything is on your doorstep - job, shops, services etc etc.
Place where I work it isn't that strict, thankfully. So I can get away with turning up late to work when the bus is late. If I want to get a better paid job then I'd have to get a better paid job and thus probs in a stricter work environment and if I was late to work I'd probably get sacked given the public transport around my area.
Products will rise and cost of services go up. Council tax may have to go up to fund extra costs in vehicle fleet, for example. Costs of products will go up, but of course, you being a leftie don't care about such things.
I'd like to see VAT and duty cut on fuel. Companies given incentives to produce and sell more fuel efficient vehicles.
Often people on here talk about the '1mile trips'. In fact, I think majority of people who use cars use it when they do 10+ mile trips, so I don't get that lame argument.
the problem of course is that new cars are expensive, people dont have the £20,000 it will probaly cost to get one of the new cars, the government making them car tax free isnt as helpful as they seem to think.
The humble bicycle is by far the most green vechile, most can afford.
One thing I never got my head round - is there any actual, proven evidence that completely filling up the tank is inefficient, or is that an urban myth? For the record, I always fill up the tank when at the pump.