Cost of fuel in the UK now

AA a motoring group???

Can we have an opinion from another motor group, the AA simply does NOT represent the motorist, sorry but they are pathetic when it comes to representing drivers. If they were serious we would not be in the situation where there are so many anti-car measures in this country.
The AA and RAC do NOT listen to the motorist, they are in a land of their own.

We do not need any more tips on eco driving, its pathetic. What we need is action to reduce spiralling prices and and end to all these taxes on fuel. Why should the UK be allowed to do this when other countries in the EU dont.

By hotredman on 9 March, 2011, 8:48pm

Why are the banks getting off with paying these massive bonus payments yet we the motorist are being thumped into submission by the clueless government . If fuel prices get any higher I am going to stop paying my tv licence and my council tax . The Tories need booted out of office before the uk turns into
A place where only the very well off survive . The hover mention will have already had is duty rise as fuel prices have risen by more than 10p per ltr since they said they were going to do it so why do they need to do it again ?

By davejan70 on 10 March, 2011, 7:23am

This is not funny anymore

Whilst I agree that both the AA & RAC are spineless and toothless, to say they don't have a voice is foolish. There needs to be a petition set up where all motorists can lobby both local MP's and Parliament. The idiot who say that we should get rid of the Conservatives, are you completely mad ? Have you forgotten that it was LABOUR who put the &%¤#¤%# country in the state it's in now - reduced to its knees by out-of-control borrowing.
The situation re: fuel pricing has been way beyond a joke for the past 4-5 years. Some blame also has to be placed on the profittering oil companies - quick to raise prices and slow to reduce them in times of war/recession. It's well known that rises in oil prices don't NEED to affect the pump price for at least 3-6 months given the stockpiles that are available. But the petrol producers will do anything for a fast buck.
The duty on fuel is way too high - if this next one goes ahead as planned, it will demonstrate a "British Rail" mentality, i.e. fewer people using the service so raise the prices for the people who do. This is VERY short-sighted and will ultimately hurt EVERYONE, not just the motorist. Please rethink this rediculous rise - perhaps CUT FUEL DUTY to stimulate the economy a little - We need some good news in these necessary, but high taxation times

By richardnlees on 10 March, 2011, 7:49am

Fuel Duty Escalator/VAT

Please don't quote AA/RAC nonsense, loaded 'surveys.' The high cost of fuel duty, the fuel duty escalator and VAT is the problem. Whatever the cost of fuel, two-thirds goes to the greedy wasteful government in fuel duty/VAT. Don't get me started on punitive VED rates.

'Eco driving' is mainly PC nonsense - driving style is largely dictated by traffic conditions and I see no noticeable difference in fuel consumption with air con on or off.

By biggsy24 on 10 March, 2011, 7:54am

Nothing will ever change

The cost of oil is a small factor and will never be controlled because it is basically a commodity and prices are not dictated by it's cost of production, they are instead political and purely for profiteering nations. That is why the sooner can move to no oil based fuels for cars the better. The government, making 200% more income from petrol than the petrol manufacturers do (and they have the cost of making it to factor in too) is nothing short of criminal profiteering. If fuel duty was only used for the purposes it was originally intended to be used for, ie. transport infrastructure such as road conditions etc, then the government would not need to constantly raise it. Sadly, like most taxes or NI, they are now no longer used for those purposes, instead our fuel duty is now totally relied upon to prop up the rest of the economy and that is why the government will never lower it, ever. If they do you can be sure that they will take the money from us somewhere else, and that would be a huge blow to pay packets at source. The bottom line is for all the rhetoric by the government and car makers about fuel efficiency, my car in 1995 used to do around 45-50mpg, it was a Fiat Panda, very lightweight. These days my new modern car does about the same MPG, which is supposedly not bad these days, but the fuel costs 3 times as much as in 1995. So exactly what effort have car makers made to fuel efficiency? I say not much, because for ever new trick they come up with to sip fuel, they seem to make their cars fatter and fatter - thus cancelling out any benefit. With todays engine technology and lighter cars from the past, we could just see some benefit. Car safety has spiralled out of all reasonable control and today costs us dear at the fuel pumps and for no ascertainable benefit. I would rather that whole nation wasn't thrown into fuel poverty and the environment was saved than the few fewer casualties as a result of the supersizing of even the tiniest car these days. Why does a modern day supermini weigh twice as much as a car from 20 years ago and is it justifiable? I say no, cars now cost more to buy, 3 x more to run and all to save just a few extra lives for people who it has to be said, largely, crash because they cannot or refuse to drive sensibly. All the while the government laughs all the way to the bank. They take 20-40% of your earnings, then they take another 20% of the money you saved to buy your car in VAT, then they take 66% of any money you put into your fuel tank. Not to mention of course the annual road tax. Insane...

By JamesRiley on 10 March, 2011, 8:13am

I'm using my car less

I at least have the option to some extent as I am not currently working. I am semi-retired. I walk when possible, use my bus pass (lucky me) and plan to do several things for each trip.

The real problem is the effect of ever increasing fuel prices on the things we have to buy like food. The nonsense of VAT on top of fuel duty...a tax on a tax is a disgrace.

Never mind though because someone somewhere is making a fortune out of this situation

By yellowbear on 10 March, 2011, 8:18am

Fuel prices : then and now.

I remember London back in the 60's when gas prices were something like 4 bob a gallon, the suggestion was made to scrap the road tax and to add 3 pennies ( thats old pennies ) per gallon
to cover the cost. A tory MP, at the time, said the motoring public would never tolerate such an increase. Look at your prices today and you still have that crazy road tax. I guess administering it does keep a bunch of unemployable bureaucrats in pay.
To put it in perspective, when I first arrived here in Vancouver in 71 a gallon cost 50 cents. Today its one dollar 30 cents a litre and rising daily. It stinks.

By mickokeeffe on 10 March, 2011, 1:57pm

Need more than a 1p rise scrapping

Its insane the high fuel prices are a result of duty and vat,not oil prices.Oil has gone up but so has tax at a much faster rate,take the tax off fuel and it would be about £2 a gallon but its actually about £6 with tax,fuel was £4 a gallon just 4years ago and that was expensive.Does this goverment like the last goverment not realise that high fuel prices cause inflation as everything we buy in shops is transported by road so the costs are passed on.The last goverment enjoyed inheriting the fuel escalator from the tories and kept on hammering the motorist in the name of the enviroment,yet no new railways were opened or alternatives created with our money.Road vehicles only produce a tiny amount of pollution compared to heavy industry,farming,clearing forrests,shipping,aircraft and volcanoes.When labour reduced vat to 15% they then increased duty to make up short fall,then when tax went back to 17.5% the duty was just left on,no one complained.Canceling the 1p increase will make no difference really when fuel is nudging £1.40 a litre,it needs to be more like a 20p duty cut,to bring us inline with other european countries.Obviously there wont be any protests because its not the british way,the best thing is to just surrender your accounts to the goverment and thank them for taking all your money,politeness is the best policy.There is no political party that gives a damn about motorists.Right anyone know where i can buy a cheap horse and cart from,i dont think there is a tax on horse sh*t yet.

By nickbsmooth on 10 March, 2011, 3:30pm

Need sanity

I have a small business and cannot do without car as i need to get my stock....higher diesel prices are hurting my wallet big time and have to pass on cost to my customers...i visited India early this year and prices of diesel over there are equivalent to 60p per litre and usually costed me about £20 to fill my SUV as government subsidise fuel to keep economy running..why cant our government do same and help businesses around UK prosper....more successful businesses mean more income tax...that way we are all in win win situation as government get the money they need,,,,businesses survive and there customers get better deals as they dont have to bear an extra cost ....plus inflation stays steady...its commonsense...

Add more fuel duty ...businesses goes bust ...no income tax.more poverty...and UK will lose hard working people to other countries as it will not be possible to sustain good life here for common working people like me and my friends here.....

Government need to think about there policies and Cameron need to spend atleast month living in our shoes to c how we cope....what do you say guys?

By Jeetsaran on 15 March, 2011, 11:08am