Fuel Prices

[Marooned in Maywick]

Plus don't forget that most of the cost of fuel is due to government taxes not actually the garages.

 

Exactly - if there was the political will to reduce fuel taxation by postcode we could have cheaper fuel immediately. Assuming the pumpers passed on the savings to the consumer...

[Para Handy]

Wow so is Grantfield the cheapest for fuel just now?

 

I did not check today. When I was in town. But even for just the day it was

it was a

 

In over 40 years of driving in Shetland, it was still a first for me.

Scary to, if Grantfield was cheaper even for one day. What other miracles are we in for. I now look to the east to see if there is another star on the way

[icepick239]

Fuel Price moans, c'mon gimme a break.

Fuel has always been more expensive in the Isles anyway and for very good economic reasons....

 

Consider;

It doesn't stop many Islanders from buying vehicles in the 8k to 45k range - so no thought of fuel prices there.

Many also buy gas-guzzler 4x4's for the shopping basket - so no thought of fuel prices there.

Many buy new vehicles at say 15k and the minute it's yours, it's worth 10k - so no thought of fuel prices there.

Using the 'pride & joy' to go to the shop, when a short walk would do-this would save money towards your next fill-up.

Driving around the Town Centre for hours looking to park & by the time you've found one, another fiver has gone in fuel.

Clever use of Taxi services can save a whole heap of car costs in a year.

Minimal car-sharing, so spending heaps of money just to sit talking to yourself or on the IPod, going to and from work.

Minimal public use of a very good public service.

Changing vehicles far too frequently and incurring major hidden costs.

 

Everything I have mentioned above, in the end costs a lot of money.

So maybe the problem therefore is not so much the extra few pence on the price of fuel, but allied with vehicle Repairs it becomes the most visible cost, that hits first the brain then the wallet.

[Colin5524]

Still no excuse to charge islanders an extra 14p a litre

[unlinkedstudent]

^^Now much as I have enjoyed some of your posts Icepick, for once, I feel the phrase coming on - get real!

 

I admit to driving the car to the shop - rather than letting it sit outside and then not start days later. Yep, I'm guilty and yep, I do feel guilty about that point.

 

Driving around town for hours on end looking for a space - nope, never had any problems with that one and have always found a place to park.

 

Driving hubby to work at times when there is no public transport available - yep, I've done that too.

 

Bought a car over £8k - God, I wish.

 

Paid more for fuel up here than I did in London - yep, done that but then hey, last vehicle I had in London was approximately 18 years ago and was a motorbike - I could afford a vehicle in London then but in the last few years couldn't and, on the plus side, insurance is a hell of a lot cheaper up here.

 

Mmm, made good use of public transport - have you tried taking your dog to the vet lately on a bus? Oh you have? Astounding, especially as they are not allowed on all the buses up here.

 

Clever use of taxi services - we have shared cabs but again; have you tried taking dogs in a taxi?

 

Sorry, but some people work in areas where there are no buses, aren't councillors (guilty, I couldn't forget that dig) who get taxis at council tax payers' expense and really don't have a lot of option but to own a car.

 

Now I have nothing against those in business making a profit and a living. I accept that a lot goes in fuel tax. However, without being able to back up my theory as to why fuel is so much more expensive up here, one thing that does spring to mind is this:-

 

I suspect business rates are a lot higher in London than they are up here yet fuel costs less. Car owners up here can't exactly pop along to Tesco/Esso/Jet/Asda/Sainsbury's, etc., and fill up if it is 5p per litre cheaper 2 minutes drive down the road.

 

It would be great to see more public transport throughout Shetland. In the meantime, I'll continue driving.

[Trow87]

icepick,

 

every single wan o da complaints du haes re: fuel price gripes doesna joost apply t shetland, but happen aa ower da country an aa.

 

whit is important, an da issue here, is dat da price o fuel is so much mair here as it is, even in aberdeen, an i tink da sam applies t orkney. how da prices can be so vastly different ower wan body o watter an fae wan island group ta da next defeats me.

[hoosn]

na, nae english, am no a england , but if i wis petiril wid be a aafil lok less, which is point in case. A cars carbon footprint is mostly in its manufacture n not in its lifetimes emmissions, hence hitting motorists wi "greenhouse taxes" is a slippery way of justifying greed, both on the part of our worthy govt and "comfortable middle classes" who invariably own the pumps. In our situation we will be hammered n hammered and hammered again until the modern ethos of "sqeeze the plebs til they pop" is fully realised , yay , whit tink you a dat ?

[Styles]

Sorry, i enjoy lighting da fues...

[shetlandpeat]

I have a great form of transport, I have only used 100mL of oil in last 8 years.

 

I think if I drove my old car for 20 years, I get the feeling that would be more co2 than its manufacture and recycle, should the recycle costs in co2 not be added to its future use not its past, otherwise the units would be counted twice. Oh my old car, a 3 litre MkI Capri, GTXL, 3 x 38mm Twinchoke carbs (night racing), stage 3 heads, high lift cams and a JanSpeed Exhaust system. Oh, 4 bags of cement in boot. 185 on front 205 on read on deepset Rostiles, and a Ram air system.

[hoosn]

I have a great form of transport, I have only used 100mL of oil in last 8 years.

 

I think if I drove my old car for 20 years, I get the feeling that would be more co2 than its manufacture and recycle, should the recycle costs in co2 not be added to its future use not its past, otherwise the units would be counted twice. Oh my old car, a 3 litre MkI Capri, GTXL, 3 x 38mm Twinchoke carbs (night racing), stage 3 heads, high lift cams and a JanSpeed Exhaust system. Oh, 4 bags of cement in boot. 185 on front 205 on read on deepset Rostiles, and a Ram air system.

i really have no idea if any o the two of us has the time to research it properly, but thats the info off the tv about the carbon foot print , and i find it highly likely as its ok for investers and middle men to be responsible for carbon , but not us. Ive had old 3 litre capris too and burned 100's gallons petrol wi them too, and i still like my old cars , which incidentally am wary about taking on the roads here cos of the standard of modern drivers

[PJ of Hildisvik]

I see due to the increase of VAT back to 17.5% that fuel at Leasks is now 124.9 pence a litre, an increase of 3 pence.

To be expected as "usual"

[Colin5524]

and its expected to increase anther 15p this year

[daveh]

For a hire car, I paid just 103.9p for unleaded when I was dropping the car off by Luton airport just 5 days ago. I filled my own car up here this week for 121.9p per litre. An 18p differential leaves me almost lost for words; well, polite ones anyway.

[Keedle]

Today it's now £1.24.9 !!!

[daveh]

Truly appalling rip-off.

All the words from both Carmichael and Scott have got us absolutely nowhere on this matter. With all the oil and the gas out there we in Shetland continue to lose out. Even the wind-fuelled electricity is going south.