Thursday 26th June 2008

Diesel Now £6 A Gallon

Pressure grows on Government as fuel prices hit new record high

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The cost of filling up a diesel car has reached an all-time high with drivers now paying £6 a gallon. Motoring groups are now warning that people simply will not be able to afford to pay the new record average 132.03p a litre.

It has been revealed that tax on diesel is now proportionately higher than on champagne and Chancellor Alistair Darling is being strongly urged to ditch a planned 2p rise in fuel duty. Prices for petrol are not faring any better with the cost of unleaded also reaching record levels.

Yesterday prices reached an average 118.65p a litre – or £5.39 a gallon. AA president Edmund King said no-one would have believed that diesel would hit £6 a gallon a year ago and is calling on the Chancellor to act fast.

‘Car-dependent people such as the disabled, shift workers and rural dwellers have to cut back on household expenditure as driving is a necessity,’ he said. The AA claims that it now costs £30 a month more to fill up the average car as the cost per litre has risen by 35p in the past year.

Polls have shown that more than half the population now blame the Government for the spiralling cost of fuel. Mr King added: ‘The Chancellor does need to look again at levels of duty of fuel as it taxed as a luxury item, at rates higher than champagne rather than as a necessity.’

Duty on both petrol and diesel is now 50.3p a litre – around 40% of the total cost at the pumps. The duty on champagne is said to be £1.87 a bottle, which means that on a £20 bottle the duty makes up roughly less than 10%.

[DannyR]

What more can be said that hasn't already been though?

I dont see them ever bringing it down at this rate, im moving jobs closer to home! That way i am going to get the opportinity to actually use the car for fun!

[Plotloss]

They cant bring it down, Brown spends all the income tax on benefits.

[jmorgan]

OK, I know the government are stuffing us but who else profits from the huge rise? Someone speculating and making a fast one?

[Adrian W]

Like this goverment or any other actually give a st what we think.

[okgo]

As long as my fuel card carries on working its water off a ducks back to me...

Thankfully, as I for one wouldnt like to be running a 20mpg car at the minute..

[FWDRacer]

FFS - This is important News?

Beer is over £3 a pint

Some Perspective gentlemen

[fathomfive]

FWDRacer said:

FFS - This is important News?

Beer is over £3 a pint

Some Perspective gentlemen

Christ, where do you live? My local is still flogging me it at £1.50. And no, I aint letting on where as it'll be 10-deep at the bar before I know it.

[FWDRacer]

fathomfive said:

FWDRacer said:

FFS - This is important News?

Beer is over £3 a pint

Some Perspective gentlemen

Christ, where do you live? My local is still flogging me it at £1.50. And no, I aint letting on where as it'll be 10-deep at the bar before I know it.

Not in Norfolk it won't The barmaid is your sister AICM£5

[MIP1983]

Mr. Darling will be able to 'save the day' and not add on the extra 2p. Hopefully this will distract people long enough for them to forget about the extortionate changes to VED. It's a cunning plan.

[chris_crossley]

They can't afford to bring it down. Like a drug addict, thay are hooked on the money with no way of comming off. They have used this cash to pay for hugh holes in public spending.
Not for what the TAX was intended. I can't understand why the green party and public transport people are screaming over the miss-appropriation of the money.

[sirtyro]

The govenment is bring this country to its knees. Its a bit rich trying to have the moral high ground on zimbabwe when our PM isnt democratically elected. Although I doubt the torries will change anything maybe its time to vote with our feet?!

[swaterall98]

I can't survive and get to work without petrol.
Beer is not required for the same reasons!
Beer can be cut back on, petrol is not as easy to give up is it?

[109 Bob]

What bloody difference will it make by scrapping the 2p increase that is planned. What difference would it make if 10p was to be taken off duty, absolutely no difference what so ever to me our you. The decrease in price would just get swallowed up & prices will continue to increase.

[RoadDogg]

As I've pointed out on other threads:
Road fuel duty is a very insideous tax, if its in a shop it got there on a lorry, the hauliers biggest overhead is fuel, most of the price of fuel is tax, this is a tax that is therefore present on everything, including FOOD and every man, woman, child and pensioner pays it, whether they can afford it or not!
If you think the go slows are just a bunch of whinging truckers next time you pay for post and packing, most of it is tax, caused by fuel duty (take note you e-bayers) which they even charge VAT on (tax on tax).Next time you drive to the super market to buy your food and essentials (beer) think about this: you are being taxed by the fuel used in your car, you then by produce and goods which have been taxed, through fuel duty, to get them from the farm to the factory, then to the wholeseller, and the to the supermarket.
In short everything that gets delivered to your front door,pub or a shop has a large element of fuel duty tax on it including beer!

[Plotloss]

RoadDogg said:

As I've pointed out on other threads:
Road fuel duty is a very insideous tax, if its in a shop it got there on a lorry, the hauliers biggest overhead is fuel, most of the price of fuel is tax, this is a tax that is therefore present on everything, including FOOD and every man, woman, child and pensioner pays it, whether they can afford it or not!
If you think the go slows are just a bunch of whinging truckers next time you pay for post and packing, most of it is tax, caused by fuel duty (take note you e-bayers) which they even charge VAT on (tax on tax).Next time you drive to the super market to buy your food and essentials (beer) think about this: you are being taxed by the fuel used in your car, you then by produce and goods which have been taxed, through fuel duty, to get them from the farm to the factory, then to the wholeseller, and the to the supermarket.
In short everything that gets delivered to your front door,pub or a shop has a large element of fuel duty tax on it including beer!

What the socialists fail to realise is that the internal combustion engine is the very tool of money making.

If engines dont fire, money isnt made.

Its that simple.

[109 Bob]

swaterall98 said:

Beer can be cut back on

Now you're just being silly

[MJO]

Was listening to Radio 4 this morning (I'm not that old, honest) on their 'what happened in Parliament yesterday' slot, David Cameron was taking the mick out of Brown about the Labour party being bankrupt. He's spot on, they simply can't afford to reduce fuel duty.

[FWDRacer]

109 Bob said:

swaterall98 said:

Beer can be cut back on

Now you're just being silly

[Welshbeef]

Simple solution to all of this increase the number of people who can work from home, many studies have shown that on average the employee is much more productive at home than in the office & clearly never late & they tend to start a little earlier & finish later.

Solution much less Fuel duty, much less congestion, higher work/life balance.

Oh and any of you car sharing & receiving £ for the fuel watch out as your essentially a taxi & if you have an accident then you re not insured.

[The Sooze]

Something has to be done about this. The price of most things is slowly increasing but the price of petrol and diesel has increased a huge amount in the last year. In Australia they pay around $1.16 per litre, a meagre 50p or so.

While some are able to use their car less and walk more, some are not. It's seems unfair to penalise someone for that.

The comparison to tax on champagne says it all really.

The country will be in economic ruins soon.