Increase the cost of cigarettes by ooohh, 200%, then put the extra revenue that generates in to reducing fuel costs. Or, try charging reasonable amounts for public transport. 290 odd quid if I wanted to go to London today from newcastle. I don't know how they have the nerve to charge that. Plus, that doesn't even get you a reserved seat.

According to the Labour minister on the news this morning, it's due to "greedy retailers".

Which is funny because the wholesale cost of petrol is around 39p a litre. The government then takes another 75p a litre in Fuel Duty, VAT at 20% and Corporation tax on any profit the retailer makes. Which leaves the retailer making 2-3p (at most per litre).

So, the government takes 50 x more than the retailer does but apparently it's the retailer's fault. There's New Labour logic for you – no wonder the economy is foobarred.

if you want to kill off the car as a form for transport – make petrol cheaper.

Save the planet crowd – global warming (lets ignore the fact that the UK is responsible for less than 2% of the world green house gasses)

You say that like it's a good thing. We're a TINY ISLAND with just 0.91% of the world's population, yet we contribute 2% of greenhouse gases.

if you want to kill off the car as a form for transport – make petrol cheaper.

very true

FarmerJohn you're not totally right…the tax has increased but so has the 'non-tax' element.

http://www.petrolprices.com/fuel-tax.html

Also does anyone know why there fuel is always cheaper in the North?

if you want to kill off the car as a form for transport – make petrol cheaper.

Because the roads would be completely gridlocked? Or because oil would run out faster?

Either way you'd also screw road haulage and buses.

Which leaves the retailer making 2-3p (at most per litre).

Well near me the price at the pump ranges from £1.20 down to £1.14 so there's a few pence extra for a retailer or wholesaler in the pricier stations.

Oh and in answer to the original question…because countries are stockpiling it thereby influencing the market?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_strategic_petroleum_reserves

Also does anyone know why there fuel is always cheaper in the North?

The northern price reflects that northerners are generaly less affluent therefore less able to pay high prices. The southern ones are just making 4p a litre more.

Also, where this £1.14-£1.20 a litre coming from? Its 112.9 in Reading, and that was just the first place I passed today (on my bike).

It's definitely 114-117p per litre in Worcestershire…maybe Reading is less affluent. 😉

The northern price reflects that northerners are generaly less affluent therefore less able to pay high prices. The southern ones are just making 4p a litre more.

Also, where this £1.14-£1.20 a litre coming from? Its 112.9 in Reading

How far north do I need to go for the cheap petrol then?

Looking on http://www.petrolprices.com/ I can currently see 111.9p to 119.9p near my house (Northumberland) and a range of 113.9p to 122.9p near work (Rosyth).

Okay it was a sweeping generalisation based on my recent move from Yorkshire to Worcestershire and past experiences…but there are quite extreme regional variations.

Ironically Rosyth is near a huge refinery so distribution costs should be cheaper

Also, where this £1.14-£1.20 a litre coming from?

IIRC the high price is at station on the A246 on the Effingham side of Bookham.

http://www.petrolprices.com/search.html?search=bookham

Not sure about petrol but diesel was an impressive £1.26 / litre at some services on the M4.

I can do the round trip to my parents house (380 ish miles) on a £40 tank of petrol. How is that not good value for money?

Depends on what your parents are like, doesn't it? 😉

Around glasgow it's ~1.15 for D.

We're a TINY ISLAND with just 0.91% of the world's population, yet we contribute 2% of greenhouse gases.

That's not bad, considering a very large percentage of the world are not industrialised and bearly have a roof over their head.

Or is bad if you consider that if we halved the global population then we'd still be in exactly the same trouble if they all lived like us.

Actually much ,much worse trouble, as other resource consumption like water and food, would become a major issue.

We live outside our means, and can only afford to do so because we allow the rest of the world to be poor.

then find someone who voted Labour last time around, and give them a good, hard slap.

I voted labour. Want to come and slap me? I'll give a good account of myself.

So, the government takes 50 x more than the retailer does but apparently it's the retailer's fault. There's New Labour logic for you – no wonder the economy is foobarred

Do we have to explain this yet again? The government takes money, and then spends it back on running the country. Tory governments do this too to a pretty similar extent. Anyone who thinks there's a fundamental ideological difference between the current Labour and Tories has absolutely no idea about politics.

Every party will cock things up. Guaranteed. It's just that the set of problems will shift *slightly* – that's it. No party is a complete disaster or a buch of gifted geniuses. People just complain like hell about every government because they are mostly small-minded and greedy.

Ironically Rosyth is near a huge refinery so distribution costs should be cheaper

Only if petrol were sold on a cost plus basis at individual sites, which it clearly isn't

and can only afford to do so because we allow the rest of the world to be poor.

No, we make them poor, it's not their choice

why are the prices of houses so high?

more importantly why are the prices of mountainbikes so high

i could put petrol in my car for 5 years for the price of a decent bike!