Tips To Save FUEL

[Gagakev]

Check fuel consumption before you buy the vehicle,
If not what stated by manufactuer, SUE Them,
Change vehicle altogether,
Downsize your caravan,
Carry less weight in van,i,e; dont take any clothes, go to a nudist colony
Carry less weight in car, i.e; leave the missus and kids at home
Or lf you do take the family get them to push the last mile.
Stay closer to home
Go away less
Sell the van and buy a tent.

Sorry but why do people keep on and on about fuel prices? what is there to do about it ? If it bothers you that much you really do need to have a serious think about you options, after all there are plenty of them

 

[Mel]

Kev, it occurs to me that a family of four could possibly tow a lightweight van with one of those 4 seater cycle things (2 in front 2 behind, bench seats and a sun canopy), that you get on large holiday camps. What do you think?
mel

 

[ProfJohnL]

Probably no type approved tow bar made for the quadcycle, I'd also be worrried about the brakes!

 

[Gagakev]

Come on Prof, Mels idea is brilliant and I'm sure with all the talent on here a tow bar could be designed.

The brakes can be solved by going back to the Flintstones, feet through the floor jobby

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

Check fuel consumption before you buy the vehicle,
If not what stated by manufactuer, SUE Them,
Change vehicle altogether,
Downsize your caravan,
Carry less weight in van,i,e; dont take any clothes, go to a nudist colony
Carry less weight in car, i.e; leave the missus and kids at home
Or lf you do take the family get them to push the last mile.
Stay closer to home
Go away less
Sell the van and buy a tent.

Sorry but why do people keep on and on about fuel prices? what is there to do about it ? If it bothers you that much you really do need to have a serious think about you options, after all there are plenty of them

Of course there is use the bus the fuel you save during the week will pay for it at the weekend away.

 

[Gagakev]

LOOK OUT there's a mod about!!!!!
Bit naughty was'nt it?
I wanted to reply to that tonight, oh well onwards and upwards.

 

[Parksy]

Sorry Kev but there's no chance of us allowing a post which suggested defrauding the exchequer in a way that would lead to criminal charges and vehicle confiscation to be posted on this forum even if it was supposed to be some sort of joke.

 

[Allen774]

Sorry Kev but there's no chance of us allowing a post which suggested defrauding the exchequer in a way that would lead to criminal charges and vehicle confiscation to be posted on this forum even if it was supposed to be some sort of joke.

At no time in my last post did I suggest anyone use red diesel or put used cooking oil in their engines,It was a tongue in cheek observation of my friend and neighbour,and not a joke.
And to suggest the post encouraged anyone to defraud the exchequer is incredible.

 

[Parksy]

At no time in my last post did I suggest anyone use red diesel or put used cooking oil in their engines,It was a tongue in cheek observation of my friend and neighbour,and not a joke.
And to suggest the post encouraged anyone to defraud the exchequer is incredible.

Your post quite clearly stated 'use red diesel' Allen which is precisely why I removed it from the message boards.

If your friend and neighbour wishes any more of his tounge in cheek observations to appear on this forum then perhaps he might consider signing up where he will be invited to agree to the terms & conditions for the use of this forum

The use of rebated heavy oils ( commonly know as 'red diesel') in diesel engined road vehicles is a criminal offence which can attract a heavy fine and possible siezure of the vehicle in the UK.
Red Diesel is less expensive then duty paid fuel so the use of red diesel is in fact an attempt to defraud the exchequer because of the fuel duty not being paid.

http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageExcise_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000164&propertyType=document#P6_54
HM Customs & Excise officers and also police officers could stop and inspect a vehicle at any time, vehicles towing caravans are coming under incresing scrutiny at motorway service areas and police officers have been known to routinely 'dip' any diesel engined vehicle that they stop to check that the correct fuel is being used.

I had removed the post which contained the words 'use red diesel ' without making a fuss but since you appear to dispute my reasoning behind it's removal Allen perhaps a paragraph taken from the terms & conditions which can be accessed in full by clicking on the red link at the foot of the forum page will clarify matters for you.
The relevant passage which you agreed to abide by when you join the forum states:
'You agree not to disseminate any material which is or may infringe the rights (including intellectual property rights) of any third party or be unlawful, threatening, defamatory, obscene, indecent, offensive, pornographic, abusive, liable to incite racial hatred, discriminatory, menacing, scandalous, inflammatory, blasphemous, in breach of confidence, in breach of privacy, which may cause annoyance or inconvenience or may restrict or inhibit the use of the Website by any person or which constitutes or encourages conduct that may be considered a criminal offence or give rise to civil liability in any country in the world;'

I don't want to seem harsh but since you've called me on it, if your post was not a joke then what I find incredible is your decision not only to submit it in the first place but also to deny what you had written and to argue about it's removal!

 

[Gagakev]

On the subject of red diesel, I work in the constuction industry and have worked on some large sites in the past, and most of the heavy plant/machinery operated on red diesiel with tanks on site.
On a number of occasion's Custom's and Excise with the police have turned up on site closed the gates and locked every one IN.
They then proceeded to check every road going vehicle on the site and yes there were vehicles using the red diesel, which were impounded/confiscated. I am not sure of the additional penalties incurred, (if any)

 

[Caprelous]

I am aware that using Red Deisel is an offence by evading the tax to the chancellors funds but can you say the same in respect to using vegitable oil in monorail deisel engines or even a mixture of it with duty paid deisel?

Just a Question mind not a statement

http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/fuelsdatabase/database/index.php

http://www.veggiepower.co.uk/faqs/faqs.htm

 

[Lutz]

There is a big difference. Red diesel is manufactured in the same way as regular diesel. The difference is only in the way it is taxed for the respective applications for which it is intended. Vegetable oil, on the other hand, is manufactured by a completely different process and is not recognised by law as a fuel, unlike red diesel.
It's all in the way the law is written.

 

[Steve L]

To be quite honest, I was well disappointed to read that the last fuel protest from www.fairfueluk.com only had 140'000 signatures. If we are so peed off that we are considering using red diesel to avoid tax and save money then why haven't more people signed up. I've just signed their latest petition to get a fairer system.

There was a garage on the A40 by Symonds Yat that was used as a depot to filter red diesel and remove the stain but they did get caught eventually and Mr Danter is currently behind bars, but not before an estimated 1 million quid of VAT and excise duty had been avoided.

 

[Caprelous]

To be quite honest, I was well disappointed to read that the last fuel protest from www.fairfueluk.com only had 140'000 signatures. If we are so peed off that we are considering using red diesel to avoid tax and save money then why haven't more people signed up. I've just signed their latest petition to get a fairer system.

Oh BTW. Did you know 32 second heating oil as used in large oil fired boilers is the same as diesel and only 68p a litre.

All I need to develope is a way of diluting the red dye out

There was a garage on the A40 by Symonds Yat that was used as a depot to filter red diesel and remove the stain but they did get caught eventually and Mr Danter is currently behind bars, but not before an estimated 1 million quid of VAT and excise duty had been avoided.

Interesting that I certainly would not advocate any activity that would put me behind bars far excise evasion still each to their own.

 

[Parksy]

I am aware that using Red Deisel is an offence by evading the tax to the chancellors funds but can you say the same in respect to using vegitable oil in monorail deisel engines or even a mixture of it with duty paid deisel?

Just a Question mind not a statement

http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/fuelsdatabase/database/index.php

http://www.veggiepower.co.uk/faqs/faqs.htm

A private motorist who purchases less than 2500 litres of vegetable oil per annum is not required to pay excise duty on it.
In reality there is no record of any checks having been made since duty on what is fiscally classed as biofuel was abandoned.

http://www.smartveg.com/faqs/fuel-duty-vegetable-oil.php

 

[Steve L]

To be quite honest, I was well disappointed to read that the last fuel protest from www.fairfueluk.com only had 140'000 signatures. If we are so peed off that we are considering using red diesel to avoid tax and save money then why haven't more people signed up. I've just signed their latest petition to get a fairer system.

Oh BTW. Did you know 32 second heating oil as used in large oil fired boilers is the same as diesel and only 68p a litre.

All I need to develope is a way of diluting the red dye out

There was a garage on the A40 by Symonds Yat that was used as a depot to filter red diesel and remove the stain but they did get caught eventually and Mr Danter is currently behind bars, but not before an estimated 1 million quid of VAT and excise duty had been avoided.

Interesting that I certainly would not advocate any activity that would put me behind bars far excise evasion still each to their own.

I quite agree about not wanting to end up behind bars, but if peoplepower isn't working, some folks do take that route. That's specifically why heating oil theift took a huge rise a couple of months ago.
I've fitted an aluminium stone guard under my plastic diesel tank, as it is so easy to drill a plastic tank push a pipe in and nick my liquid gold.
Saving fuel by driving a vehicle that is in good service condition and has got correctly inflated tyres is by far the best start. Then the tricky bit comes up. Most vehicles tend to give better MPG if driven at about 55Mph. That usually is below 2'000rpm on a diesel so that the turbo isn't kicked in and around 3'000rpm on a petrol to avoid stage 2 of the fuel injection system that is designed for acceleration.
Sounds ok so far I hear you all say.

But it is at that speed that you then get the couldn't give a **** drivers overtaking and cutting in too early to vent their frustration. Now if your around 100Kgs and 6ft tall with muscles like a weight lifter these berks don't bother you and if you've been to anger management classes you learn to let it fly over the top. But then if someone toots at the berk he/she then jumps on the brakes!!
We all know what that is called, "road rage".
What I call it is bad driving by exhibitionist's who don't know how to drive a vehicle effectively.
The truck & Lorry drivers on here will tell you it isn't best practice to drive flat out but to keep momentum that gives the best fuel consumption. The Likes of Stobart, Taylors etc etc all spend thousands every year on driver training to even educate the old hands as well as the new to drive both economically and effectively.
One way you can see where you use the most of your fuel is to keep a day diary of where you go, mileage and when you fill up. That way you can chose where to go to suit your pocket. It also serves as a good indicator of just how much fuel and mileage you do each month. Laborious I know, but it is usefull info.

 

[Parksy]

I've seen one or two posts which appear to suggest that drivers of diesel engined vehicles might consider using unrebated (red) diesel fuel because of the high cost of fuel and 'because people power isn't working' as Steve in Leo suggested.
My guess is that those who illegally use 'red' diesel to save on costs and those who steal heating oil or other peoples fuel by puncturing fuel tanks are the sort of criminals who whould do this anyway, regardless of how high or low the cost of fuel was.
It's nothing to do with people power or legitimate protest and members of this caravan forum should never consider that the practice of using red diesel could be a way to save money because it could cost you dear in the event of detection.
Vehicles towing caravans are increasingly coming under scrutiny from police forces and HM Customs & Excise inspectors specifically because of the temptation to use red diesel to try to reduce of the high cost of fuel. Holiday tourers as well as members of the travelling community are subject to inspection which can result in hefty fines and the impounding of the vehicle.

 

[emmerson]

Buy a petrol driven car and convert to LPG.
But just as a matter of interest, I've been using LPG for 12 or 13 years now, and have saved huge amonunts of money on fuel, though I don't know where it all went.
I've just found a fuel receipt from September last year, when I paid 58p per litre. Now I'm paying anything from 73 to 84. Has petrol gone up by the same percentage?

 

[JonnyG]

"Most vehicles tend to give better MPG if driven at about 55Mph. That usually is below 2'000rpm on a diesel so that the turbo isn't kicked in"
Steve, when you accelerate even from as low as 1100 rpm, depending on how much load/power is needed to move the vehicle the turbo will indeed kick in, the turbo will kick in at any revs above 1000rpm depending on the load/power needed to keep the car moving. so even if you are driving at 55mph in top,and especially when towing the turbo will be spinning, cutting in and out when ever more power is neede to maintain your momentum.
The revs are irrelevant.

 

[NickinFrance]

There was a garage on the A40 by Symonds Yat that was used as a depot to filter red diesel and remove the stain but they did get caught eventually

While it's fairly easy to get rid of the stain, it's impossible to get rid of the chemical marker that's also added, which is what they test for.
I lived near a town that had a large weekly livestock market & it was always interesting to see quite how empty the town was on the occasions when HMC&E stationed a 'Diesel dipper' van on each of the roads into the town.

 

[Steve L]

Yes I've seen that too at Hereford market, Nick.
I don't advocate the use of coloured diesel to avoid excise duty, but will sign up to any campain and attend protest's to try to get fuel duty lowered and a fairer pricing structure for all motorist's.
Parksy is quite right, the sort of people who pilfer fuel will do it anyway. But I do think there is a marked increase in the events, suggesting that more people are joining in.
With fuel consistantly rising in price, it is the working classes who get hit the hardest,because they need to work to live and therefore need to use the car to get to work. My daughter did a carboot sale at the weekend to help her partner afford fuel to go to work. The poor sod has had to work nights all bank holiday weekend making hand made crisps in Herefordshire for just £7-50 an hour despite the agencey he is working via, getting a whopping bonus from the company making the crisps. They had a serious fire about 2 wks ago which meant they needed to work 24/7 to rebuild buffer stock. The full time workers didn't want to forego their holiday so the agencey staff were basically forced by the agencey to work at £7-50 incl shift allowance.
One thing those of us who have bought second hand diesel cars might have to think about is. Has that car been run on red before? If so would I get nicked even if it wasn't me !!!