View Full Version : Can you remember when fuel was 89p a litre?
redken1
26-03-12, 06:09 PM
High fuel prices are crippling my business - considering that due to the current economic climate I have kept my daily labour rate the same as it was when a litre of fuel was 89p.
The cost of petrol now averages 140.20p a litre, with diesel at 146.72p a litre. And in August, another rise will add 3.62p a litre, meaning the typical 50-litre petrol refill will cost £1.81 more, the AA calculates.
However, petrol hasn’t always been this pricey. Five years ago it was just 89p for a litre of unleaded – and even in May 2009 the price was below £1 a litre, according to comparison site PetrolPrices.com.
It now cost drivers more than £68 to fill up a 50-litre tank – £3.45 more than it cost a year ago £12.30 more than in 2010. Meanwhile, larger cars and vans cost up to £100 a tank, says the AA.
What makes up the price of petrol?
According to Whatprice.co.uk, the forecourt price makes up just 5% of the total cost of petrol, while the cost of oil amounts to a further 32% - but of course it’s taxation that eats up the largest chunk, at a hefty 63% of the price you pay to fill up your car.
At 139.67p a litre, the cost of a litre of petrol breaks down into: 57.95p fuel duty, 23.28p VAT, 52p wholesale, 1.5p biofuel content – with just 4.94p the retailer’s margin and transport costs.
The government’s main argument for dropping the 50p tax rate is that the decrease will mean a bigger take in cash terms for the treasury.
If that is indeed the case, then surely the same should apply with a cut in the duty on fuel with road users filling up more frequently resulting in a bigger take for the treasury. IMHO such action may also provide the stimulation the economy needs and as a consequence kick-start growth.
DaytonaDog
26-03-12, 06:42 PM
Ken, I can remember a time when it didn't even cost that much for a gallon!!!!! Ok I admit it was a very long time ago, but I remember my dad saying he would sell the car if petrol ever reached £2 a gallon.
I couldn't believe they went ahead sith the extra 3p of fuel taxes, considering how much the price has gone up by and how much extra VAT they must be getting.
But of course all us road users are only doing it to be annoying and must be priced off the roads, we're not trying to just get to work or anything ::)
Yeah, we're all pissed off with the price of fuel, I can remember when a gallon of premix for my Fizzy cost a quid and all that... If they don't take it on fuel they'll bleed you for it another way; on food, drink, VAT, clothes, anything that little rich boy Osbourne could think of that affects fellow toffs as little as possible.
Is it that big a deal though when you look at it objectively (I'm talking about riding for pleasure here, not needing to drive for your business) an extra 3p/litre will add about 45p to the cost of the average fill-up. Can you not afford that? A few months ago I saw some dumb feature about fuel prices on local news, they interviewed a woman from Southampton who said that they couldn't afford their driving holiday to North Wales because of the fuel price rises. What a load of bollocks, that's be a round trip of what, 700 miles? Maybe 80 litres of fuel... Even if it had gone up by 10p/litre that's only another 8 quid. If your holiday finances are that finely balanced sweetheart you have far more to worry about than fuel prices... Typical local news story, load of noise about nothing ::)
wiltshire builders
26-03-12, 08:26 PM
A few months ago I saw some dumb feature about fuel prices on local news, they interviewed a woman from Southampton who said that they couldn't afford their driving holiday to North Wales because of the fuel price rises. What a load of bollocks, that's be a round trip of what, 700 miles? Maybe 80 litres of fuel... Even if it had gone up by 10p/litre that's only another 8 quid. If your holiday finances are that finely balanced sweetheart you have far more to worry about than fuel prices... Typical local news story, load of noise about nothing ::)
Maybe their family car was a Jensen Interceptor?
Mark_Able
26-03-12, 09:22 PM
A few months ago I saw some dumb feature about fuel prices on local news, they interviewed a woman from Southampton who said that they couldn't afford their driving holiday to North Wales because of the fuel price rises. What a load of bollocks, that's be a round trip of what, 700 miles? Maybe 80 litres of fuel... Even if it had gone up by 10p/litre that's only another 8 quid. If your holiday finances are that finely balanced sweetheart you have far more to worry about than fuel prices... Typical local news story, load of noise about nothing ::)
Maybe their family car was a Jensen Interceptor?
My sort of family... :)
I can remember Lesters selling 5* and I think it was 25p a gallon, although it could have been 2/5d :)
In 1981 when I had my first 250 it was £1.60 a gallon :) Trouble is back then I used to earn £23.50 a week :-/
Don't get me started on fuel prices.
Look at how many of the cabinet are millionaires - you will be shocked by the answer!
How can a millionaire possibly realise how the crippling prices we are paying for all fuels are affecting the majority of people in this country. ( For them its like dropping the contents of a coke bottle in the English Channel ).
Squashed_Fly
27-03-12, 06:55 AM
High fuel prices are crippling my business - considering that due to the current economic climate I have kept my daily labour rate the same as it was when a litre of fuel was 89p.
Switch to diesel, and run it on Bio diesel? Or if it's petrol, invest in an LPG conversion? Both methods will save you considerably. My neighbours just bought and LPG converted car, and his fuel economy has almost trebled!
nothing we can do about it other than use less of it. As Scotty says, is an extra 45p a tank going to discourage us all from riding for pleasure next time it's a sunny weekend? I doubt it, with over 60 bikes on March's ride-out.
Don't get me wrong - I run a business with a fleet of vehicles so I'm being affected by this personally and professionally, but until people stop burning fuel for pleasure I can't really accept that it's a life-changing rise in price.
Ducatista
27-03-12, 09:29 AM
but until people stop burning fuel for pleasure I can't really accept that it's a life-changing rise in price
It may be life changing for some individuals and businesses though.
45p is not a lot, but if you're running a haulage firm then that's going to multiply up.
If you do a long commute then it might mean a job is no longer viable.
For people that live in villages on low incomes it's a particualr problem.
It's very to say - well you chose that commute or you chose to live in a village, but sometimes people don't have a vast array of choices.
The long commute might have been the only job available. A young person living at home with parents might not be able to afford to live elsewhere.
I agree in general it's not life-changing, but at the margins it's going to start to put some people out of work. I used to live in a village (hated it) and for the low paid the costs of transport to work is a big issue.
I didn't mention commuting, haulage companies or businesses who depend on it - I said "until people stop burning it for pleasure", what I should have ended with is "..I can't really accept it's life-changing for those people". Fully accept it makes life extremely difficult for a lot. However I do think it's a bit hypocritical riding a motorcycle for pleasure and then saying fuel costs are becoming prohibitive to surviving financially
I agree with Dabz about burning fuel for pleasure. Whilst I'm not happy with the prices, it is as it is. Nowt moaning will do. If we want cheaper motoring then we'll all have to look at the vehicles we drive or ride and make decisions. Do we need to drive a 6ltr 4x4? do we need to drive, would a scooter or motorcycle do the job?
I went through all this six years ago because money was tight for me. I cut my pleasure ride to once per month, bought a cheap 250cc bike for most jouneys, cycles or walked others and layed the small car I had up as much as possible. It worked, I slashed my fuel bill.
Cheap fuel is a thing of the past.
This is another reason why I'll be working to get the Benly on the road - that thing does over 85mpg if ridden sensibly so it'll be far cheaper for me to commute on that over the summer than in my car :)
redken1
27-03-12, 08:16 PM
Of course it’s unlikely that an extra cost of 45p to fill the average tank will discourage most from using their bikes. Perhaps I wasn’t very clear, but my original comments were made in the context of a five year period.
A rise of 51.20p per litre since 2007 is just too much of a financial burden for many low paid PAYE and self-employed workers who rely on transport to get to their place of work. Especially for those who have not received an increase in their income during the same period.
High fuel prices have a knock-on effect for every sector of industry and area of the economy. I know a cleaner who works for 6 hours a day for slightly over the minimum wage. The first 75 minutes of her working day pays for her return bus journey fare to work. I’m not moaning, merely pointing out that if fuel continues to rise at a much higher rate than lower scale (minimum wage freeze for under 21s) incomes, work won’t be an affordable option for many.
have you tried running oil fired central heating?
Central heating oil has doubled in price in 5 years. :'(
sorry to go off track , thought it was worth mentioning.
redken1
27-03-12, 09:03 PM
have you tried running oil fired central heating?
Central heating oil has doubled in price in 5 years. :'(
sorry to go off track , thought it was worth mentioning.
Stop using your bike and get a thicker coat :P ;) ;D
Joking aside Ken... I'm earning less now than I was earning 5 years ago.. ( due to lack of overtime and very small rises) Everything you buy these days, from fuel, food, clothes, etc has risen in price drastically,.
thank heavens I'm still in full time employment, and can still find a bit of wonga to run my Thundercat.
When's it gonna get better??? :-? :-?
redken1
27-03-12, 09:26 PM
Don't want to harp on too much Chris and cast doom and gloom on WB :-X, but I do really feel for the young generation. :(
They are the ones who are going to pay the price for past mistakes.
On a brighter note, I would sell my body to keep my bike - mind you, would probably only make enough to ride a Honda Melody :o ;D
At the moment it seems to go up every day :'(
Harry87
28-03-12, 12:30 PM
with just 4.94p the retailer’s margin
Wow no wonder you see these small garages closing down all the time! Also, why it is always so expensive buying groceries in a petrol garage!! ;D
have you tried running oil fired central heating?
Central heating oil has doubled in price in 5 years. :'(
sorry to go off track , thought it was worth mentioning.
We are looking at installing a wood burner so we can turn the central heating off. Prices are getting silly.
Don't want to harp on too much Chris and cast doom and gloom on WB :-X, but I do really feel for the young generation. :(
They are the ones who are going to pay the price for past mistakes.
On a brighter note, I would sell my body to keep my bike - mind you, would probably only make enough to ride a Honda Melody :o ;D
A Honda Melody..... ;D That'll be without a full tank of fuel then!!!!! ;D
have you tried running oil fired central heating?
Central heating oil has doubled in price in 5 years. :'(
sorry to go off track , thought it was worth mentioning.
We are looking at installing a wood burner so we can turn the central heating off. Prices are getting silly.
It's a bugger lugging it upstairs at bedtime though ;D
Any way haven't you seen the price of wood?
Ah.... we have ze plan!!!! :D
redken1
29-03-12, 08:15 PM
The lengths the current coalition administration will go to, to top-up the treasury piggy-bank appears to know no bounds.
Amid fears of a possible tanker drivers’ strike, Tory Cabinet Minister Francis Maude indulged in a bit of reckless and irresponsible scaremongering, when he said, "A bit of petrol in a jerry can in the garage is a sensible precaution to take."
I wonder whether or not this was a calculated ploy to encourage motorists to ‘panic buy’ stock piles of fuel? :-/
No doubting that if 20 million motorists purchased 20 litres of fuel each over and above normal average sales, this would give a much needed economic boost to the treasury coffers before the end of the financial year.
Perhaps I’m an OTT cynic and in reality The Rt honourable gentleman is just a bumbling old fool? :P
goz1960
29-03-12, 08:52 PM
Cant find any fuel tonight full stop.
I remember when it was around 76p a gallon and you used to be able to pay a bit extra, around 5p for a shot of redex at the attended pump :)
redken1
29-03-12, 09:13 PM
Cant find any fuel tonight full stop.
The ploy worked then ;) :P
I queued for fuel tonight, not because I was panicking, coz I was riding the bike and the fuel light was on.
bloke in front of me stopped at the pump, put the nozzle in his filler cap filled for a few seconds, stopped, shook his car manually from side to side, filled a little more, again shook the car.. back to the nozzle for another squirt, etc .. etc.. five or six times.
. after he left, I pulled up to the pump and it read £7.30... it's because of tossers like this there's queues at petrol stations. >:( >:( >:( >:(
jpssantos
29-03-12, 09:29 PM
I remember when diesel was 64p a litre... remember that well, it was February 2004, when I moved from Portugal to England!
Central heating oil is now 64p a litre. >:(
Mitch9128
30-03-12, 10:05 AM
I used to drive from Greenham common to Bulford every morning, and i can vividly recall driving past a petrol stn near the A303, and seeing 97p a gallon, i swore i'd give up driving when it went over £1 a gallon...this wasn't back in the 1800's either, i'm talking 92/93.
That Texaco on Magic R/about is creeping his prices up ....now Premium £1.55 ...cheeky twat :P
I have shoite memory but am I right that petrol was per gallon cheaper than a pint a beer in the dim distant past....seem to think there was some moaning when it got to 10 d/old money per gallon and beer was somat like 9 d/ 10 d :D :D 1970 ?? ish :o
ya ya ya those were the days ya ya ya !!!!!!
SupeRDel
30-03-12, 06:15 PM
About 3 years ago I gave up my job in Devizes and got a job in Chippenham so now Cycle to work. All my petrol is now used for pleasure riding/driving.
Last year my old firm tried to get me back and offered me 3 grand more money.
Work out all the travel costs and fuel and it was not worth it.
Back in the 70's there was a "One" pound note slot machine on a petrol pump in a garage in calne.
This photo was from 1981.
http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l109/superdel/uu.jpg
redken1
30-03-12, 06:39 PM
Del, I owned his little brother at the exact same time, GS550E - same colour too.
Painted in tyre letters 8-)
Julie_S
30-03-12, 08:39 PM
Buy your fuel in Warminster - Morrisons or the garage out on the old Weymouth road - 5p a litre cheaper than Melksham last week
I can remember hanging out the window of the family car holiday whilst my brother and sister chose their latest Smurfs - 75p a gallon!
Going metric helped push the price up as we all stopped worrying about how much a gallon and just put in £5/£10 or whatever, price goes up you put fuel in more often. Also once it broke the £1.00 a litre barrier and the grumbling died down it sort of became acceptible. Time to burn a few sheep .....
I remember when it was around 76p a gallon and you used to be able to pay a bit extra, around 5p for a shot of redex at the attended pump :)
I used to work in a garage in Trowbridge back in 1979/80 when it was about 76p per gallon. Redex was either a penny or two pence a shot (you were being robbed) Two stoke oil was 5p a shot. I used to get paid about 45 pence per hour :o
The old mechanic sometimes gave me a lift in his Austin van which had a crank handle. Ahh Ye good Olde days
Del, I owned his little brother at the exact same time, GS550E - same colour too.
Same here had the 550e with panniers. Lovely bike
BladeTriple
04-04-12, 03:45 PM
I remember when I paased my car test (coughs 20 years ago) that Diesel was about 45p a litre and petrol was always 4 or 5p more expensive... I got back to UK in 2005 and it was just under a quid a litre then, having been in tax free germany where I got 10 litres for £2 this was enough of a culture shock, but nearly a £1.50 a litre just takes the micky, since when did it cost £20 to fill a bike up ? I used to be able to fill the car up for that fgs >:( oh and I remember when it was all just fields round here too.... Worthers Original anyone ?!?!?
SupeRDel
05-04-12, 12:40 PM
Painted in tyre letters 8-)
The things we did when were were young.. :-[
Actually the rear tire was an Avon Venom. I used to get tires fitted at a little shop in Swindon called Bills Tyres.
I went in one saturday to get a new rear tire and he had just taken delivery of the Brand new Avon Venom. Avons new performance tire for superbikes. Up till then the Roadrunner was the best they did.
It cost me about 40 quid - next day it was the club bike racing at Colerne airfield and I remember parking it up and a sad little group formed around the bike.
"Cor... Its one of them new Avon Venoms! :o Wot does it andle like mate?
Yes we were really sad back then :-[
Good ole' road runners..... brilliant tyre!!! Shame they replaced it with the Road Rider.... not so good.
I had Pirelli Phantom's on my CB900F most of the time but just had a look in the garage and its got Michelin's on at the moment - must be 20 years old at least. Had plenty of Roadrunners on the smaller bikes.
Last Train
05-04-12, 01:52 PM
Can you remember when fuel was 89p a litre?
Nope ;D
;)
Andybusa
05-04-12, 06:47 PM
Hey listen up you load of whingers and whiners! I happen to think that the more we pay in taxes the more benefits we get back, in terms of wind farms, coastal walkways, liberal democrats, pensions for bearded council employees, reduced bin collections, non-productive civil servants' salaries and gold plated pensions. So rejoice! Your taxes are being used to good effect............Yeah Right!!!!!!!! :-/
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