Petrol Prices - Are they to high - What can we do about it.

[wader leg]

Necessity breeds invention and all that, I'm pretty confident they'll think of something before the oil runs out.
It was joked about on the Lager price thread but what's to stop alcohol being used as fuel ? infinite resources, technology already exists, all you need are bigger distillation plants and something to stop people drinking it.
Another thing I have always thought will be possible and would solve plenty of the worlds power/fuel problems would be to harness the power of lightning. Sounds stupid but when people marvelled at how they built that hadron collider and what it can achieve then you must think that it is within the realms of possibility for us to harness lightning also?

[77dave]

2.21 gigawatts   FTW

[Newmanseye]

I have been driving for 13 years now, the petrol prices have jumped to more than double the price they were back then.

The price of fuel is at a disgraceful rate at present given we pump and refine our own.


As for who is hardest hit, i see from my personal circumstances how hard it hits my family, I recently went back to join the working populace after a long period of illness & the stark reality is driving a car costs too damn much, between insurance, tax, repairs & maintenance and fuel its not sustainable without a major sacrifice within the family unit.

Now to address the other point made early in the thread, the government wasting money; you bet they do, the company I currently work for is a NDGB ( non departmental government body ) we are given £200 Million per year to run the company, from that we deliver on a £115 million pound contract that is open to other private providers to offer provision.

On top of that we have 61 factories across the UK that has a 34% output rate, purely due to no work for the staff to perform, Bear in mind the people on the factories are paid if there is work or not & they are still on a government contract  and will never be made redundant unless they ask to be. ( i am guessing you all know who I work for at this point )

Here is the real pincher, the sales team responsible for providing work at the factories not only do they give away the service but they often use part of the funding for the factories to subsidise the work being carried out, I have met some of these guys and they could not sell a pie to a hungry man.

Bear in mind this is a Government agency and a drop in the ocean when it comes to the UK government coffers although the addage is look after the pennies ...... ( lets see who can finish it )

[portfolio]

Surely, this can't continue. How can a litre of petrol be £1.12p

taxation.

[rajkan]

Finally the lorry driver's have decided to do something. Have you seen the news today. They blocked a major road today, I think the M1 going into London. Not only are petrol and diesel prices likely to increase, but so is car Tax. What are we going to do about this ?

[jizzemm]

Finally the lorry driver's have decided to do something. Have you seen the news today. They blocked a major road today, I think the M1 going into London. Not only are petrol and diesel prices likely to increase, but so is car Tax. What are we going to do about this ?

use my car less, not much else you can do i dont think, what happens if they take 5p a litre off, its £1.20 instead of £1.25... hardly makes much difference over the whole scheme of things. Vote at the next election is the best way imo..

[Claw75]

competition on the radio yesterday - prize was to win a tank full of petrol.  A sign of the times, especially when I found myself thinking 'that would be worth winning'

[rajkan]

5p off more like 50p off. Then I think we would be happy.

[jizzemm]

5p off more like 50p off. Then I think we would be happy.

Never in a million years would they knock off 50p a litre in tax..... who is going to pay for that reduction

[Bongo]

Especially given the lower than expected tax revenues from the banks who are making less due to the credit crunch.

[rajkan]

They actually blocked the A1M, I've just heard it on the local news. The prices have gone up by HALF A PENCE for the last 2 months.

[Acidmouse]

Petrol still 1.10 near me, is it alot more down s'arf?

[Claw75]

Petrol still 1.10 near me, is it alot more down s'arf?

115.9 here.  well, it was yesterday - probably gone up since then!

[Acidmouse]

Blimey, for once in my recent life going to take train to London next month, got two returns from Leeds for a grand sum of £40. Much cheaper than driving

[The_nun]

Strange thoughts we are having..sod banking investmant plans, buy a big under ground tanker n fill it up with petrol. Save one a fortune.