Auto Express fuel duty special

Ripoff Britain

A very good article with sensible advice. However no matter how you put it it is the tax that is the issue. It is government robery. So contact your MP and keep pestering them toll it is made at lease the same as the EU.
Tome for Autoexpress to innitiate some protests. I'll definately join in.

By theuncle1 on 10 March, 2011, 7:43am

Rip off Europe !

I feel your pain, It's the same here in Ireland , and as theuncle1 says, it's the tax ! And we pay a lot more tax on cars, never mind fuel !

Americans bitch about 4 or 5 dollars per U.S gallon , but to be far they drive far less efficient cars than we do!

I believe the Germans pay more for petrol and diesel than we do. The Governments should be ashamed to inflict such hardship on ordinary people.

And in Ireland the recent introduction of a carbon tax is just plain wrong, Not to mention that anthropogenic global warming is a "theory" It has NOT being proven, that's just simple facts, and to tax the hell out of peoples way of life is Evil to say the least. What a wonderful way to justify the massive tax revenues, "how can we get money? oh I know lets just raise fuel tax and say it's to save the planet, people won't complain because we have made them feel so bad about killing the planet every time they drive their cars to work to pay our salaries that we tax even more"

The Governments think we are fools and say the high price is because of rising costs of oil etc, it's tax, tax, tax, tax !!!

We are being forced to drive less, and spend less. people like to go off for weekend drives, spend a weekend away. That's all stopping now because people can't afford it, and that's less money going into the economy ! Do the Government realise this? no.

In this part of the country most work is in Dublin, that means driving about 30,000 miles a year at a cost of about 4500 Euros, that's a huge bill for fuel that's totally unnecessary.

Yeah we need to move to alternatives I've heard that before, give us the alternative fuels, the so called green fuels and we will use them, then tax the hell out of the old technologies, there is NO alternatives now and none likely within the next 50 years ! Wind, solar not good enough and never will. E.V's are good on paper but need Nuclear generation or wind, wind won't be good enough and Nuclear is a far safer technology these days! We could make Hydrogen and forget about 8 hours charging, we have had Nuclear for the last 60 odd years and could be almost 100% energy independent and Thorium reactors are going to become more common, basically they are much safer and have a few more advantages to using uranium!

Petrol is taxed more because it's seen as a less green fuel than diesel? wtf ? really ? all because carbon tax is based naturally enough on C02 emissions which petrols emit a little more than diesel, but this the best part, diesels are far worse for human health and are linked with cancer a lot more than petrols, but diesel fuel is seen as a greener fuel LMFAO and diesel cars are taxed less and more and more people are driving them in towns and cities, causing massive amounts of damaging emissions, but that's okay because the emit less C02, but so what if they give you cancer !

It looks like these 100 miler Electric cars might take off a lot quicker than we think, in another few years we just won't be able to afford to drive ICE cars!

The current price of fuel is making a conversion of my prius's battery to a bigger plug in a lot more attractive now indeed !

By Mad_Lad on 10 March, 2011, 8:37am

Daylight Robbery

Empty roads and SLOWER moving traffic…surely some mistake..... every time I fill up, I feel like I've been mugged by the government - £30 to fill a motorcycle £90 to fill my car!

By ZZR1100 on 10 March, 2011, 8:39am

Moaners

I have reduced my average speeds and seen my mpg improve significantly, but lots of people still seem to blast around - and these seem to be the people with the least money. Students and young people generally, and also people with old cars. The message does not seem to be getting to them. But I have no sympathy whatsoever with the haulage and small business community. On the motorways loads of white vans are still doing 85-90 in the fast lane, and in the middle lane are the hgvs trying to overtake their colleagues, foot flat to the metal for mile after mile.

I am retired, but still do a reasonable mileage, so I count the pennies, but I support the government in higher taxes on fuel. We need to wake up to the fact that oil is a finite resource, for which we are reliant on volatile and unstable countries. One day in the not too distant future it will have gone. Let us start adjusting now !

By donrover on 10 March, 2011, 8:55am

the auto express top 10 fuel efficient cars are all diesel I take it? but the best car I have come across is the prius. I bought an 07 with 45000 miles, I can easily get 63 mpg and once got 73, I don't drive slow but I make best use of the Hybrid technology.

My A4 TDI used to on the same journey get 40 mpg where the prius gets 63. mainly urban driving. The prius gets around 53 mpg at 75 mph and the A4 about the same, But it's the towns that kill and normal petrol or diesel car. What you achieve on the motorway I found you loose a big chunk of it in the towns and cities, this is where the Prius wins hands down, no question about it, and once you learn the tricks of driving a hybrid, no normal ICE car will ever match it's economy.

Most if not all of normal peoples reviews of cars, the ones that actually drive them every day never get even close to the claimed 70-80 mpg the manufacturers claim, making the differences between petrol and diesel these days very small and completely not worth the extra money in buying diesels.

Also the Prius is far bigger than some of these tiny eco boxes and is a petrol automatic, definitely a remarkable achievement, also you can install a much larger plug in battery for much higher mpg (over 150 mpg) it will allow it to travel much longer distances on battery at lower speeds.

Who needs tiny diesel eco boxes? buy second hand is the only real eco option !

My prius cost me 8500 Euros for a 07 with 45000 miles, put in a bigger battery for 150 mpg, that's a cheap 150 mpg car now isn't it?

By Mad_Lad on 10 March, 2011, 9:01am

RIP-OFF Britain, that sums this country up, Nothing will get done till the prices put the economy down the drain, then and only then will this bunch of "Learners" in government realise that these taxes will come back and bite them HARD.

By johnbmwx6 on 10 March, 2011, 9:15am

Having just returned from my Manufacturing plant in Lafayette LA USA I noticed the diesel price listed at .38 per gallon and petrol at .88 per gallon.
My US guys I talked to could not believe what us UK drivers are paying at the pumps they said there would be a public revolt in the US with the high prices we pay in the UK.
We the motorist are all suffering in this country and its not the Oil Companies that are at fault these high UK prices rest firmly with the UK Goverment and the current tax levied on fuel.
Perhaps we should all fill up at one designated Filling station say for eg. BP by doing this we could force perhaps the petrol/diesel costs down in the country as the other Filling stations would not get any business which could result in all out price war to get the lost business back.
It might be worth trying don't you all agree???.

By standoff1 on 10 March, 2011, 9:26am

The above fuel costs should read 2.88 and 3.38 US Dollars.

By standoff1 on 10 March, 2011, 9:28am

It seems to go up very quickly.........

I fully appreciate that around 65 - 70% of the fuel cost is duty - the UK Government are hardly likely to reduce this as motorists are easy targets for tax revenues.

However, as soon as the price of oil goes up so does fuel - surely the fuel we buy at the pumps was actually refined prior to the barrel increase so therefore both the oil companies and the Government benefit to the detriment of the motorist?

When oil prices drop, the price of fuel doesn't or at least if it does, it's not back down to the same levels and rarely is the drop as fast as the increase when the oil is going up in price - net result, more profit for the oil companies and duty for the UK Government!

I often wonder whether innovative alternative technologies which would substantially reduce our dependence on oil never see the light of day because there is too much money to be made by oil companies and Governments alike?

By robbykni on 10 March, 2011, 9:31am

Samson

Road fuel is not expensive, it's the tax on tax which causes the expense, now a litre of fuel cost a approx .42p, diesel is a by-product of petrol, in the old days much cheaper than petrol, purchase tax is added, 20% VAT is added, even added to the purchase tax, knowing the state of this country, why didn't our supposedly educated Government leave road-fuel out of the 2.5% increase of VAT, everything travels by road, therefore, everything gets more and more expensive, our MPs can reclaim cost of fuel in expenses, the ordinary worker has to pay in full, anyone with a brain could have seen that, adding the extra VAT, why didn't/ don't they remove the purchase tax, that would solve the problem, people can't use their cars, Government losing millions in lost revenue, remove the tax, people back on the road, taxes return.

By grandsons on 10 March, 2011, 10:53am

No shortage, its the normal RIP-OFF.

Its the City ie (the useless parasitical yuppies) who orchestrate the fuel rises, because they make lots of money out of it, and the government don't complain or try to stop higher prices as the higher it goes the more they get.

The sad thing about it is, there will be no shortage unless someone (the fuel companies) holds it back, all the statements about supply and demand are a load of rubbish because the world is awash with oil, the Arab producers have already stated that they are not holding oil back, or forcing up prices, in fact there should be a glut of oil just now as all the speculators who have had oil tied up sometimes for years will be releasing it onto the market at top prices.
WE ARE BEING RIPPED OFF, over the years there have been many inventions to replace petrol and the patents are generally bought up by the oil companies, so its about time an alternative to petrol was put on the market, as petrol needs competition to bring the price down.

By Bobbybev on 10 March, 2011, 11:21am

More Cons, they are taking us a ride :-)

Quote: in Ireland the recent introduction of a carbon tax is just plain wrong, Not to mention that anthropogenic global warming is a "theory" It has NOT being proven, that's just simple facts we are being conned,]

Precisely by backing the Green crackpots, the government are running the con of the Centaury.
But the Irish have to pay a carbon tax because their EU crackpot masters say so!!!

Another Quote: that oil is a finite resource, for which we are reliant on volatile and unstable countries. One day in the not too distant future it will have gone.
Well its not as finite as they would have you believe, there is lots to be dug up yet, and America has hardly put a dent in its own, they now say that massive amounts of gas are under Manchester and there is usually oil under gas.
Electric cars are just another con, and if the government numpties advocate them the car makers will comply as big profits will be made, but lets not forget it takes a lot of power to make batteries, a lot of power to charge them up, so we will need more power stations, and they won’t be coal, and the French will build them.
Like all batteries car batteries have a shelf life, it’s a dirty expensive process of disposal, and I am told that replacements are about £2.000 so the government’s subsidy will buy the first replacement.
Electric is false economy, as money should be put into researching modern metals, plastics, carbon fibres and synthetics, and fuels, all of which will make a car run more efficiently.

By Bobbybev on 10 March, 2011, 12:14pm

How True.

I'm just about to sell my car.
I can't afford to pay for petrol anymore.
Once over, I drove over 20k miles a year. I've cut that down to 5k. But it's time for it to go, I can no longer pay these silly prices anymore.
I suppose the government is the loser.

By sportage1 on 10 March, 2011, 6:33pm

We are getting fleeced and we should not tolerate it

Massive protests across the whole of the E.U is what we need, we need the E.U to listen to US.

it's going to reach the point where people can't take any more and there will be serious riots !

How dare the E.U and our own governments tax the very fuel that is essential for our way of life !

They are the ones chauffeured around in their ministerial cars that WE pay for, they don't care that a lot of people actually have to drive 30-40000 miles a year just to get to work !

Thay are scum and that's a word I really hate, but that's how I much I hate tha E.U and our own (past) government, I doubt this one will be much better. As someone above posted "motorists are easy targets"

I remember reading an article about the trillions of (estimated) Euros worth of oil in Irish waters in the Atlantic, it seems no one is willing to attempt to explore, the government would probably give that away too like all our gas ! Muppets !

By Mad_Lad on 10 March, 2011, 6:36pm

mick

Fuel/energy its all the same If we all do whats asked and save energy the tax man and the energy suppliers will put up cost they still need the profits.

By mickcorcoran on 10 March, 2011, 7:35pm

It's to pay for the banker bailouts.. those who got us all in this mess in the name of speculation , risk taking with other peoples money, for profit who pay themselves big bonuses, hide their money in offshore countries or Swiss bank accounts, money taken out of the economy .. the system is one big mess, it's broken..

By hugo_b on 10 March, 2011, 9:26pm

On the other hand i read the guy with the Prius with intreague.
Totally agree about the small diesels. plus lot of people are brainwashed into thinking diesel iare the be all and end all of economy.. you'd need to do 12k-15k or more per year n maninly motorway driving to save over petrol..
most people short commute over short distances, not enough to get the engine warmed up to be at its most efficient, all in start /stop traffic too..

By hugo_b on 10 March, 2011, 9:35pm

Reduce Fuel and What Will Replce The Lost Tax?

If they reduce fuel tax they will have to take it back another way. As for diesel I do approx. 1,200 miles a year all short trips to shops, 2 year old (53) 206SW 1.4HDi gave me average 49mpg over 5 years (8.000 miles), sold at 7 year old 25K miles for half what I paid for it (lost £2.8K in 5 years), also cheap to tax & insure, all I did was change oil & filters, recharge air con & new tyres. I have just bought last new Bipper Tepee 1.4 HDi as I wanted to beat the DPF/FAP (saved £3.2K off list price, it may do a bit less mpg but high seat for arthritis sufferer, carries class3 mobility scooter in back, cheap to tax & insure, fun to drive in trafic, I doubt any petrol would would do this & give me 40mpg which is all I expect from the Bipper, any more is a bonus, I hope it will see me to the end, without it I could never leave my rural home. I do feel sorry for those who need to use a car to travel to work from rural areas as no other option in many cases, could a reduction on road fuel tax end up with increased home fuel tax? that would be worse for many.

By Contax on 10 March, 2011, 10:18pm

What's the point...?

let's be honest nothing will ever change. the government continue to say they feel motorists pain but they don't - primarily because everytime they fill up we pick up the tab via expenses. no amount of lobbying or protests will ever change fuel prices. i may be wrong here, but i believe that the reason prices dropped after the last protests/blockades was due to the oil price decreasing and not because the government intervened.
the only time the government will step in is when the amount of tax they recieve from fuel drops below a equilibrium level.
if 10 people are willing to fill their car up and a cost of £10, but only 9 people are willing to fill up a car if the cost is £12 it matters not to the government as they are still benefitting. £108 vs £100, yes it's a simplified calculation but until enough people stop filling up and tax from fuel drops beneath a certain level all the goevernment will do is state that they feel 'our pain'.
furthermore the proposed fuel duty hike in april is nether here or there. yes postponing it will be beneficial in the short run but fuel costs will rise as the months go by anyhow and we'll soon by paying 1.50 a litre whether the government increases fuel duty or not.
one final point, with all the benefits of electric motoring being pushed and the government offering grants for buying a new electric/hybrid motor i await the next new tax - as i'm sure that all of the fuel tax that is lost when we 'all switch to electric cars' will have to recouped somehow/somewhere else.
i've come to the conclusion that politicians must be from mars as they certainly know nothing about living in the real world.
on yer bikes all!
has anyone invented a car that runs on politians....now there's an idea.............

By gevs10 on 11 March, 2011, 1:42pm

Scrap HSR & VAT ON FUEL

The government is planning to spend 17 billion on just one railway line. That is enough to remove VAT completely on road fuel for the next 4YEARS! (3.8 billion pa VAT take on road fuel). This would bring petrol back to £1.10 per gallon and give the economy the boost it needs. If fuel continues to rise people will stop spending money and businesses will collapse. It is far more important to prevent this than pacifying a tiny number of people who want to get from the centre of London to the centre of Birmingham a few minutes quicker.

By dave500 on 12 March, 2011, 7:16am

Think outside of da box

This will not be a suitable option for everyone, but I bought a bike for the work commute. It is 12 miles into the office, about a 40 minute ride.
An inexpensive bike at £180, brand new, took only about a month's cycling to pay for itself.
Come rain, wind or ice, it has been used, it provides plenty of exercise and fresh air, and most importantly, I am reducing massively the tax I contribute to the government's coffers. That gives me a very nice and warm feeling inside.

By ayazmehar2 on 12 March, 2011, 3:26pm

Rip Off Britain

Government Tax needs "moderating" 70% Fuel Tax is very high and soon as has been said the fuel will be "stock Piling" as no one will be using it, what happens to your Tax then?, Lower the rate and try to keep inflation DOWN, wake up CAMERON start living in the real world.

By johnbmwx6 on 15 March, 2011, 9:20am

greed

We can complain and protest all we want all that matters in this country is the people in power want to get richer, that means taking money from the working class. It s a pretty medieval way of thinking but its effectively true. Like someone says when the price of oil is estimated in the media to rise by "2p in the next week" it goes up 2p just before the rise takes place then bang a 2p rise as predicted, 2p turns into 4p and were worse off but what can we do say that's dishonest like the politicians care???? Then in the way back down its 1p for a week then back up.

bottom line is the fuel price will never come down again. Even if we turn to electric cars, hydrogen cars, solar powered cars the government are taking your money, wither its the fuel or the new car prices themselves or £4000 a year road tax we won't be able to afford it. The government want and need your money and they will take it.

By bohemoth on 15 March, 2011, 12:08pm

Ayazmehar2: most of us would cycle if it was an option but most live too far from work, but would the politicians????????? The executives???????? the greedy bankers????????

By bohemoth on 15 March, 2011, 12:14pm