We have the cheapest petrol in Europe!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21258809

This is a bit of a minefield for me, i’m keeping out 😀

😯 really!

OFT can’t be wrong

BEFORE tax ….

we have some of the heaviest taxes in europe too…

Dammit. Why can’t they massively tax stuff that I don’t use.

😀

Anyone know what the % we pay in Tax on fuel?

Why can’t they massively tax stuff that I don’t use.

This.

You never hear non-smokers complain about the rate of taxation on cigarettes and I also don’t have a strong opinion on the rate of VED applied to HGV’s, tbh.

Quentin Willson, spokesman for the pressure group FairFuelUK, said he was shocked.

“Every motorist and business in Britain instinctively knows that ‘something’s not right’,” he said.

“The OFT appears to have failed to address the key issues of : why diesel is more expensive than unleaded in the UK when this is not the case in Europe, why falls in the oil price take so long to be reflected at the pump, and why there are such variations in price, often from the same branded forecourts, within the same area.”

The report was welcomed by Chris Hunt, director general of the UK’s Petroleum Industry Association, which represents refiners.

Say no more, 😉 😉 🙄 🙄

Anyone know what the % we pay in Tax on fuel?

about 60%

Does this 60% go back into putting the roads in good order via our councils?

So QW’s comments can basically be summarised by “this review didn’t come up with an answer that I like, therefore it’s wrong”.

Does this 60% go back into putting the roads in good order via our councils?

Well as taxes in the UK aren’t hypothocated the answer is no it goes into a pot along with all the other taxes and is distributed according to how the government wishes to spend it.

yup 60% or around 80 pence in the price per litre, shocking isn’t it?

Does this 60% go back into putting the roads in good order via our councils?

That’ll be council tax for your local roads. Trunk roads and motorways come from Nation Govt. so it could be that some of that 60% goes back into mitigating some of the damage done. You’d never be able to trace it though.

Fuel Duty is roughly 60%, then there is 20% VAT 👿

QW asks some really good questions, to which answers haven’t been provided so good reason to be angry.

Go on QW!

Fuel, alcohol and cigarettes … the three easy targets for generating revenue.

Easy money for our glorious coalition 😀

Cynical? Moi?

😉

You’d never be able to trace it though.

because judging by the state of our trunk roads its such a small number youd need a microscope to see it ?

Fuel Duty is roughly 60%, then there is 20% VAT

no, ~60% total VAT and duty

I understand the need to tax fuel. But what I don’t understand is how the US manages on substantially less. Their price at the pump is less than half what we pay.

If you want to save money on petrol stop using the car for the 60% of journeys that could be undertaken by another method of transport.

Or you could just moan and then sit in the same traffic jams tomorrow.

More taxation I say! Make people actually pay the cost of motoring.

But what I don’t understand is how the US manages on substantially less. Their price at the pump is less than half what we pay.

They do it by maintaining the highest poverty rate in the developed world.

AA fuel price report, UK and Europe

http://www.theaa.com/resources/Documents/pdf/motoring-advice/fuel-reports/january2013.pdf

I understand the need to tax fuel. But what I don’t understand is how the US manages on substantially less. Their price at the pump is less than half what we pay.

Ah, if only it were so simple …

Lifer does have a point of course – people are well known for needing a bit of ‘encouragement’ to change their habits/lifestyle … and the most effective (easiest to apply) form of ‘encouragement’ is usually to club them half to death with a massive tax stick 🙂

The price of fuel is pretty painful for most of us but we live in a capitalist society where oil companies seek to maximise profit. Many of us will be paying into pension funds who invest in shares in oil companies among other things. If oil companies failed to make money that in turn would have a negative impact second hand on our pensions as share price and dividends fell. A more immediate impact for most of us would be a drop in the price of fuel. I don’t see any simple solution to that. Nationalise oil companies so that the government that we all love so much can fix the price? A large part of the price is the tax we pay, so not under the control of the companies. If there is evidence of collusion between oil companies in fixing the price of fuel that is unacceptable. If the price is higher than we want we have the option not to buy, in theory. The price of many things is more than I would like it to be but that is just life. Fuel is really no different to other comodities. My view might change when I get home tonight to see how much yesterday’s 900 litres of heating oil cost me.

Does this 60% go back into putting the roads in good order via our councils?

Does fag tax go into the health service or beer tax into Hop Farming?

I understand the need to tax fuel. But what I don’t understand is how the US manages on substantially less. Their price at the pump is less than half what we pay.

Same as Oz and people still drive 3+l v8’s that do gallons/mile. The tax is to reduce usage, improve efficiency and remove dependency on oil whilst trying to achieve the Kyoto aims.
The US also until now has basically no public healthcare or welfare system.

Lifer – Member
If you want to save money on petrol stop using the car for the 60% of journeys that could be undertaken by another method of transport.

Or you could just moan and then sit in the same traffic jams tomorrow.

More taxation I say! Make people actually pay the cost of motoring.

There’s always one…

If you want to save money on petrol stop using the car for the 60% of journeys that could be undertaken by another method of transport.

I do this, by getting Tesco to deliver my shopping rather than drive the 6 miles to the store and back. Saves me money by not buying things I didn’t intend to whilst browsing the aisles 😀

The price of many things is more than I would like it to be but that is just life. Fuel is really no different to other comodities.

No different other than being more of a necessity than many other commodities.

It’s a lot more difficult to reduce your fuel consumption/reliance than to stop buying all the other expensive so-called ‘essential’ items we insist on having these days.

Plus, you can’t get 2nd hand petrol on the classifieds, whereas most other things in life you can get hold of very cheap or for free.

Fuel Duty is roughly 60%, then there is 20% VAT

no, ~60% total VAT and duty

Yes your right, just done some sums, and on a litre of unleaded based on £1.30 per litre it works out at 63.82%, so we’re not being ripped off at all, phew 🙄

Easy money for our glorious coalition

Do you live your life 3 years at a time?

patriotpro – Member

“Lifer – Member
If you want to save money on petrol stop using the car for the 60% of journeys that could be undertaken by another method of transport.

Or you could just moan and then sit in the same traffic jams tomorrow.

More taxation I say! Make people actually pay the cost of motoring.”

There’s always one…

One what?

I see loads of people driving less than 5 miles to work, sitting outside shops waiting for 10-15 minutes with the engine running, and using their cars for pointless journeys. So, I agree fuel isn’t expensive enough.
I realised that I filled my car up last in November – still got 3/4 of a tank of diesel left.

Fuel prices need cutting by £.80 per ltr and scrap the VAT on it.

Simple really.

Fuel won’t be expensive enough to stop the majority doing the short journeys (which ironically don’t cost much) until the low paid are completely priced out of vehicle ownership. That won’t happen. The other depressing point is that if they do properly lower fuel tax then we’ll end up paying in other ways, 40% VAT anyone, or we’ll have to significantly cut spending in this country or massively increase the productivity of the public sector, either of those options will have people dependant on the state (be it benefits or wages) out on the streets.

Fuel prices need cutting by £.80 per ltr and scrap the VAT on it.
Simple really.

Not really what would it achieve? More pollution more smog faster depletion of oil?

patriotpro – Member

There’s always one…

there’s at least 2 of us…

bikebouy – Member

Fuel prices need cutting by £.80 per ltr and scrap the VAT on it.

Simple really.

mind telling us what measures you’ve taken to reduce your fuel bill?*

checking your tyre pressures once a week, car-sharing, sticking to speed limits, that sort of thing.

i think fuel’s too expensive, but i’ve done sod-all about it – it can’t be that bad.

(*it’s nuffing personal, my point is that we’re all happy to complain about the price of fuel, but hardly any of us are prepared to do do anything that might mean using a bit less)