Midlands today fuel price news.

[ShadySadie]

Tesco and other supermarkets base their price on what others in the area are charging and get away with what they can I'm told.

Try reading the thread Charlie, if you had half a brain you might follow how the thread progressed

 

[seth1]

Charlie which part of Euros post are you refering to?Do you think that by leaving Europe,regrowing this country to perhaps part of its former self would have no effect on lowering taxs?Wake up.Look at the big picture.

 

[Parksy]

This topic seems to have descended into the familiar ill tempered rant between the same protagonists and has little or nothing to do with the topic originally under discussion.

For this reason I've removed most of the posts which contain abuse.

Further insults or childish personal abuse will result in more deletions, apologies to any member who's reasonable post was deleted along with the abusive ones, the editing tool is more of a mallet than a scalpel.

 

[Guest]

Lighten up Parksy!

I for one haven't been ill tempered for years!

It's just not in my nature!

 

[ProfJohnL]

I have to agree that the variation in fuel prices by post code is unfair, and I think the retailers do play the game of supply, demand and convenience to greater extent than we might hope.

Based on my nearest filling station (Tesco) there are two other brand stations at about 3 miles which are usually between 1 & 2p a litre cheaper, and if you go to about 6 miles there are several stations that are often up to 4p cheaper.

Tesco are playing the convenience vs price card here, Most people realise that it is not sensible to make and additional 6 mile round trip just to get fuel for a few pence cheaper, so they have pushed the price up.

Fortunately for me I have to travel past some of these stations, so I can take some advantage of the savings.

I subscribe to PetrolPrices.com. which will alert you with regular emails to where the best fuel price is in your area.

I have another reason though for not using Tesco fuel. I run two diesel vehicles, and they are noticeably rougher when using Tesco fuel. I am pleasantly surprised though to find I can often get Shell at the more distant garages that I pass with several pence saving.

 

[Parksy]

Lighten up Parksy!

I for one haven't been ill tempered for years!

It's just not in my nature!

I believe you, thousands wouldn't :0)

 

[Steve L]

Like you John i too have registered on petrol prices.com.

I have also taken the time to send a lobbying protest letter to my MP. For what it's worth as he called cadbury workers wingers over the crafty Kraft takeover.

I have to agree with Parksy though.

This post was started not only to raise the point that there is a post code lottery of fuel prices but also to see if there was any of the "dunkirk spirit" or the old fashioned "British bulldog" left in this broken britain.

Sadly it appears that people are too self centered to make a stand as a team and it is looking like we as a nation will just let the oil companies and goverment walk all over us.

Steve L.

 

[Surfer]

We no longer use supermarket fuel in our vehicles and find that we now get more mpg and the engines seem to run better and a lot less smoke from the diesel engine.

 

[andyp1]

How about a petition ?

 

[SteveW77]

Millions of people signed a petion with regards to the fox hunting ban. Did it make any difference? No. Not one iota. Will a petion on fuel prices make any difference? No. Not one iota.

Storming parliment might have an effect, anyone up for that?

Steve W

 

[SteveW77]

God how I hate this antiquated forum, When will I learn to cut and paste from "Word" that has got a spell checker and an edit facility.

Steve W

 

[ProfJohnL]

Steve,

I feel it is rather simplistic to say the public will not stand as a team. If it were just one organisation we had to lobby or blockade there may be a chance, but with so many companies distributing fuel and messing around with prices, it would be very difficult to launch a concerted effort with any real prospect of bring our point home to the powers that set pricing structures.

Divide and Rule comes to mind.

 

[Steve L]

I don't think it too simplistic to say that we British can't stand as a team.

Just look at this thread. No body has replied with where and when do you want to make the stand. As the saying goes "words are cheap", it's actions that count.

Sure there are dozens of companies/organisations involved in the determination of what we pay at the pump.

But don't you think that if we all stopped our cars for say 30 mins and simply brought the road structure to a standstill, it would pass un - noticed. The press would be all over it like a rash.

But getting the "Dunkirk spirit" & British bull dog" back into whimpering self centered "Broken Britain" is the hardest part.

I'm no Red Robbo, but when we all stood together at our fatory when they threatened to make us all redundant and re-employ us when they moved 16 miles to Worcester, we got our existing terms carried over and a travel package for two years to assist. We didn't need to strike, just simply all congregate outside the MD's office and state we all said no way and would walk if need be. Standing side by side in numbers always get's noticed.

Steve L.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Steve,

I am please that you were successful with your right to work protest, but I don't think the 'mob' tactic that worked for you could work for the fuel prices;

Referring back to my earlier post, I made the point with so many 'bosses' in the oil industry to focus on it dilutes the effect of what you propose, compared to your situation where you only had one boss to impress. He also knew that if you all decided not to stay with the company, he would have a major problem recruiting enough skilled people quickly enough to cover your jobs and experience. That would threaten his business so your action was able to weaken the boss's resolve.

By comparison, a 30min stand still of all traffic would only marginally affect the companies involved, but it would inconvenience to some major degree lots ordinary people, not to mention the emergency services. Who would end up paying - the public in lost earning, possible threats t job security etc.

From the oil company's point of view, all the companies would be equally affected so there would be no commercial pressure for any of them to break ranks, because they all know that very quickly the British public would be moving on and needing to buy fuel.

Now more effective approach may be to focus on one company and nationally decline to purchase fuel from any of their outlets for an extended period (a week or more perhaps) them move onto another brand, and so on. Another option is having knowledge of where the keenest price for fuel may help but it needs every one to know and to boycott the high price stations. But even that has its problems, where for example this is only one filling station within a significant area and people have little or no choice but to use it.

So there is no simple approach to bring pressure to bear on these multiple companies.

 

[SteveW77]

As I Said in my post on the 5th Feb. A lot of whinging, but as for actually doing something, not a hope in hell, more excuses than you can shake a stick at.

Steve W

 

[Steve L]

Yep that was my exactly point Steve W.

As I said words are cheap.

People can't even boycott the dearest garage in town let alone decline to avoid a brand.

Perhaps a look at the French way of protesting might get people motivated. But I won't hold my breath.

I must be the odd one out, but if I've got something to say I will stand infront and say it. Size doesn't matter to me.

Steve L.

 

[Gabsgrandad]

What a topic!! Wingers winging about wingers who won't protest. Me not bothered about wasting my valuable time "protesting" about something that anyone is likely to affect.

When I bought my first petrol for my motor bike you could get 5 gallons of Jet for a quid. Now it's a gallon for 5 quid. A couple of years later when I got my first motor it was just over a