150% Price Increase at BP stations
Discussion
Cyder said:
I enjoy how OP's delete their OP in the hope it'll die a dignified death.
You mean where this happened?Silver C6 said:
Don't know about you guys, but I find it rather re-assuring filling my tank at a BP or Shell petrol station. Old established and trusted British companies, despite some recent problems.
What I also like about my local BP station is that they only charge you 20p to check/inflate your tyres, unlike the people across the road who want 50p.
Good on BP I always think. They are making enough money from you on the fuel, so its a "nice touch" that the tyre machine still requires only 20p. It's one of the factors that makes me go back.
Not anymore. Went down the other day and a new sign on the machine now reads 50p. I make that a 150% price increase. Reminded me of the David Cameron saying "We are all in this together." Petrol retailers obviously "Yes."
What I also like about my local BP station is that they only charge you 20p to check/inflate your tyres, unlike the people across the road who want 50p.
Good on BP I always think. They are making enough money from you on the fuel, so its a "nice touch" that the tyre machine still requires only 20p. It's one of the factors that makes me go back.
Not anymore. Went down the other day and a new sign on the machine now reads 50p. I make that a 150% price increase. Reminded me of the David Cameron saying "We are all in this together." Petrol retailers obviously "Yes."
CraigyMc said:
Cyder said:
I enjoy how OP's delete their OP in the hope it'll die a dignified death.
You mean where this happened?Silver C6 said:
Don't know about you guys, but I find it rather re-assuring filling my tank at a BP or Shell petrol station. Old established and trusted British companies, despite some recent problems.
What I also like about my local BP station is that they only charge you 20p to check/inflate your tyres, unlike the people across the road who want 50p.
Good on BP I always think. They are making enough money from you on the fuel, so its a "nice touch" that the tyre machine still requires only 20p. It's one of the factors that makes me go back.
Not anymore. Went down the other day and a new sign on the machine now reads 50p. I make that a 150% price increase. Reminded me of the David Cameron saying "We are all in this together." Petrol retailers obviously "Yes."
What I also like about my local BP station is that they only charge you 20p to check/inflate your tyres, unlike the people across the road who want 50p.
Good on BP I always think. They are making enough money from you on the fuel, so its a "nice touch" that the tyre machine still requires only 20p. It's one of the factors that makes me go back.
Not anymore. Went down the other day and a new sign on the machine now reads 50p. I make that a 150% price increase. Reminded me of the David Cameron saying "We are all in this together." Petrol retailers obviously "Yes."
HustleRussell said:
Those machines are probably inaccurate anyway (god knows when they're calibrated, if ever!). The other problem is you have to drive to the forecourt to use them which warms the tyres slightly and causes the pressures to increase from cold.
£30 spent on an accurate gauge and footpump or 12v compressor is a much better idea- or you could do what everybody else does and don't bother checking them. Ever. That's very cheap, until the tyres wear out prematurely or start cracking.
what he said ^^£30 spent on an accurate gauge and footpump or 12v compressor is a much better idea- or you could do what everybody else does and don't bother checking them. Ever. That's very cheap, until the tyres wear out prematurely or start cracking.
I'm of the opinion that the air/water should be free at all forecourts, to encourage the dim witted to check and inflate their tyres. Many forecourts used to supply air free from their compressors, but almost all charge for it now. It's not so much the cost, rather the thought of paying for something that surrounds us that seems to bother most people. That, and the faff of going back into the kiosk to queue up again simply to get change, or a token, that fits into the machine. You also have to factor the dreaded "Health and Safety" into the equation, as a mechanical/electrical compressor will almost certainly require an inspection and maintenance regime, and the 'leccy to run it costs too.
I used to have access to the airline at the Central Servicing Bay in the MT Yard at work (Army barracks), but no longer. So I spent some money on this stuff:
Michelin (branded) 12v Digital Tyre Inflator
A Tyre Pressure Gauge which I keep in the centre console, along with.....
A Tyre Tread Depth Gauge.
I mostly check the pressures once a week, and never less than once a fortnight. The compressor lives in the garage, and comes out when needed, but I take it with me when I know the car will alternate between fully laden and just me in it, so that I can adjust the pressures appropriately.
The digital inflater reads under according to the 'manual' gauge. I inflate as per the pre-set on the inflater screen, then check with the manual gauge. Once the tyres are correctly inflated, the weekly check takes a few minutes with the simple gauge.
I learned my lesson quite some time ago, when, with a fully laden Vauxhall Cavalier, I set off on the M3, destination Cornwall. The left rear tyre must have been seriously under-inflated, because about 30 minutes after we set off, I could see smoke in my mirrors and smelled the unmistakeable whiff of burning rubber. The tyre wasn't fully deflated, even at that stage, and weirdly I'd not sensed a handling problem, but the sidewall was smoking, and too hot to touch. Having brought it to a halt on the hard shoulder, I unloaded the boot, and changed the wheel. By then the tyre had cooled, and 'set' under the weight of the car, and was quite obviously beyond redemption (it also would not fit properly into the wheel-well, due to the 'rock hard bulge' in the sidewall
). Then I had to unload and repack the boot again at the tyre fitters in Andover, as I wasn't going to risk the drive to Cornwall without a spare. A lucky escape and a lesson learned, hence why I'm so OCD about checking the tyres ever since.CraigyMc said:
yellowjack said:
relevant stuff
I'm pretty sure TPS systems are becoming required equipment on new cars either this year or next.C
ETA: an 'h' in overheating. Honestly, I do not 'eat' tyres, so overEATing them would be ridiculous
#selfedit-dontrelyonspellcheck
Edited by yellowjack on Tuesday 5th March 12:51
kambites said:
GroundEffect said:
And that's why they have their prices higher than the supermarkets, because people like you will pay for a supposed 'superior' product.
Shell seem to price-match the local supermarkets around here. No idea about BP. Mind you, I still fill up at Asda because it's a mile closer.
yellowjack said:
Why??????
Honestly, I'm not a complete newcomer to PH, yet I've not seen an OP completely delete a post before. Does this happen often?
Quite often.Honestly, I'm not a complete newcomer to PH, yet I've not seen an OP completely delete a post before. Does this happen often?
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