Petrol more expensive than diesel
Discussion
Just noticed petrol is 2p/litre more than diesel. I’m sure when I last paid any attention it was 10-15p cheaper.
I’m in the market for a new car and was considering petrol instead of diesel and I’d been assuming petrol was a bit cheaper to offset the worse mpg, but sounds like I need to rethink that.
I’m wondering as more and more people switch from diesel to petrol the gap will widen further causing a bounce back to diesel cars?
I’m in the market for a new car and was considering petrol instead of diesel and I’d been assuming petrol was a bit cheaper to offset the worse mpg, but sounds like I need to rethink that.
I’m wondering as more and more people switch from diesel to petrol the gap will widen further causing a bounce back to diesel cars?
Cars are a long term purchase. Anything you buy, you will likely run for at least a year, potentially much much more.
Short term swings in petrol/diesel pricing shouldn’t affect your decision here.
Buy a diesel if it fits your use case (significantly above average miles per year, heavy towing, you don’t live somewhere that’s likely to be hit by ULEZ-like stuff).
For what it’s worth, in my experience diesel is so much better in terms of mpg that a 15 pence per liter premium is easily offset. But to be clear, it’s a good few years since I owned a diesel car. Maybe things have changed.
Short term swings in petrol/diesel pricing shouldn’t affect your decision here.
Buy a diesel if it fits your use case (significantly above average miles per year, heavy towing, you don’t live somewhere that’s likely to be hit by ULEZ-like stuff).
For what it’s worth, in my experience diesel is so much better in terms of mpg that a 15 pence per liter premium is easily offset. But to be clear, it’s a good few years since I owned a diesel car. Maybe things have changed.
Edited by Jawls on Sunday 23 July 13:44
It’s summer. Less demand for heating oil which is essentially less well refined diesel. When we get into autumn we’ll see a gap again, when heating oil demand grows.
On the above, I’m surprised more people aren’t ordering heating oil whilst the price is likely to be lower, but then I suppose many will buy when they will need it, and may not budget for filling the tank during the summer.
On the above, I’m surprised more people aren’t ordering heating oil whilst the price is likely to be lower, but then I suppose many will buy when they will need it, and may not budget for filling the tank during the summer.
stogbandard said:
It’s summer. Less demand for heating oil which is essentially less well refined diesel. When we get into autumn we’ll see a gap again, when heating oil demand grows.
On the above, I’m surprised more people aren’t ordering heating oil whilst the price is likely to be lower, but then I suppose many will buy when they will need it, and may not budget for filling the tank during the summer.
Most people I know keep their eye on domestic heating prices, and ensure their oil tank is full by the end of summer.On the above, I’m surprised more people aren’t ordering heating oil whilst the price is likely to be lower, but then I suppose many will buy when they will need it, and may not budget for filling the tank during the summer.
Bluemondy said:
Isn't this just going back to historical norms?
Historical as in 'before government touted diesel as the promised land' and thus every other car became diesel?
Diesel was slightly better than petrol for the planet, but slightly worse for people. Now EV is the saviour !Historical as in 'before government touted diesel as the promised land' and thus every other car became diesel?
Dog Star said:
My dad got our first diesel car - a Pug 504 - in 1977. Back in those days and for many years after diesel was quite a lot cheaper than petrol.
If you price up the actual product pre-tax etc I always thought it was cheaper to manufacture.
The actual industrial processes are cheaper, but price is still determined by supply / demand dynamics. If you price up the actual product pre-tax etc I always thought it was cheaper to manufacture.
Western Europe does not manufacture enough diesel and it has been that way for years. Whereas it has a surplus of gasoline manufacturing capacity.
stogbandard said:
It’s summer. Less demand for heating oil which is essentially less well refined diesel. When we get into autumn we’ll see a gap again, when heating oil demand grows.
On the above, I’m surprised more people aren’t ordering heating oil whilst the price is likely to be lower, but then I suppose many will buy when they will need it, and may not budget for filling the tank during the summer.
Yes but much more demand for jet fuel in summer, which obviously is very similar to heating oil (marked kerosene). So I’m not sure I buy the “weak kero demand leads to cheaper diesel” story. On the above, I’m surprised more people aren’t ordering heating oil whilst the price is likely to be lower, but then I suppose many will buy when they will need it, and may not budget for filling the tank during the summer.
Back in the 1970's, when commercial vehicles and taxi's were about the only users ( the idea of Joe Public running a derv powered car was unheard of ) , it used to cost about 10p per gallon less than petrol. Then with Government "encouragement" via cheaper road tax , the petrol price crisis and performance improved from "snail like" to "acceptable" by the addition of a turbocharger, ( those rattly non turbo Sierra's and Cavaliers really were shocking to drive ) diesel cars suddenly became more popular and surprise surprise, the Government increased the price of diesel , not just to petrol levels, but well beyond it. Most garage forecourts used to have a single derv pump well away from the petrol pumps, and if you happened to be a taxi or commercial vehicle driver, you usually stood in a puddle of diesel while filling your car and would spend the rest of the day with your feet slipping off the pedals or stinking of the stuff.
crowfield said:
Back in the 1970's, when commercial vehicles and taxi's were about the only users ( the idea of Joe Public running a derv powered car was unheard of ) , it used to cost about 10p per gallon less than petrol. Then with Government "encouragement" via cheaper road tax , the petrol price crisis and performance improved from "snail like" to "acceptable" by the addition of a turbocharger, ( those rattly non turbo Sierra's and Cavaliers really were shocking to drive ) diesel cars suddenly became more popular and surprise surprise, the Government increased the price of diesel , not just to petrol levels, but well beyond it. Most garage forecourts used to have a single derv pump well away from the petrol pumps, and if you happened to be a taxi or commercial vehicle driver, you usually stood in a puddle of diesel while filling your car and would spend the rest of the day with your feet slipping off the pedals or stinking of the stuff.
As far back as 1995, it was the same on both fuels at 34.9p per litre. The duty on diesel than ramped up more than petrol until 2008 when the duty on diesel and unleaded petrol (while it was phased out, leaded petrol was always more) was made the same when it was cut on diesel from 56p to 50.95p per litre.In 2011, the duty on both was dropped 1p to 57.95p and has not gone up since. In fact there was another 'temporary' 5p drop last year.
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