Did you know you could buy petrol in the UK for 35p a litre??
74 Comments | Add Comment | Blog entry posted 23rd May, 2007
Sounds more like it doesn’t it? Petrol at nearly a third of what most of us currently pay at the pumps. Well it is possible, that is if you don’t pay the tax.
To benefit from this rockbottom price you have to be part of the Motor Vehicle Protection Association (MVPA) based at the Auld Brig Filling Station in the hills on rural Scotland. Membership costs £100 and paid up members are entitled to up to 50 litres of discount petrol each week. The MVPA has been set up by James McDonald who claims to be developing an eco friendly emissions device for vehicles which will then be tested by members. Although the device has not yet been seen or fitted to a vehicle.
It seems he may have found a bit of a loophole in the law because if the fuel he imports is used for ‘scientific research’ Mr McDonald says that he can claim back the tax paid. According to an EU directive, tax relief does exist when fuel is used in such research but it should not then be sold for use on the road. He is waiting to see if the tax will be refunded to him and is operating at a loss at the moment but if he reaches his goal of 16,000 members to the MVPA he could make a decent profit from the tax claimed back from the treasury.
Currently 900 people have become members of the MVPA and one happy customer has said that her weekly fuel bill has dropped from £60 a week to just £17.50. Another member has calculated that he will save approximately £1000 a year with this low ‘tax free’ fuel price. It just goes to show how much the tax on fuel accounts to and how much we could save if fuel duty was significantly reduced.
Would you be keen to pay up to join the Motor Vehicle Protection Association in order to purchase tax free priced fuel?
UPDATE 25th May 07
It appears that Customs and Revenue have caught up with the MVPA scheme and the filling station was raided on 22nd May. The story was on the front on the Wee Country News on Tuesday although no information has been posted on the website about this story.
Replies to Did you know you could buy petrol in the UK for 35p a litre??
Woody July 19, 2010
Rember if something looks too good to be true it usualy is the customs and excise people have a lot of laws on there side having been at the sharp end of them take it from me they will get there money back and you wont be them if it is such a good idea then why pay £100 to join good schemes dont cost money to join he can sell the fuel at below price and get the small amount of tax back if he is so clever but i doubt he is that clever seems just like another con to me and if you are that good at coning people you should be prime minister rember the golden rule those with the gold make the rules
Tony Jone April 16, 2010
dont you think that a strike at the election would be a good thing.
it might make the govenment think about the little man how needs the car to get to work or the man working for him self trying to put food in his kids mouth
Thomas April 8, 2010
There is a planned fuel strike on Saturday 1st May, designed to affect the proposed UK General Election on May 6th.
Fraser Robertson March 19, 2009
I have ben passing the fuel station at Tullibody twice a day for months, I never really new why it was there, I have never seen anyone 'filling up' I ve never seen any staff but there is always lights on. I've asked myself on many occasions "how can any fuel station survive without cutomers and burning electricity for days, weeks and months?" I'd love to see their financial records, money in money out cannot balance. If this memebership scheme is such a good deal why is there never any customers, or staff in the forecourt. Who is the parent company??? How is it funded????? I use aproximately 100 litres of petrol a week, not through choice I have to add, forced to work away from home due to slump in construction, 50 litres a week at 35 pence a liter would reduce my considerable costs. It would not help the environment but it would help me exisit.
Fraser Robertson March 19, 2009
What assurances can I have that this is a safe invetment?
Hungry Pig June 27, 2008
Fuel is now 1.29 for diesel and 1.31 pence at bp
I wander were all our money is going???
Nikki April 28, 2008
just thought you would like to know, i passed BP and diesel is £1.23 per litre.
Robbing Ba**ards!
Miss Leaded April 25, 2008
Quote:
"5
Anyone noticed how much of a joke the current prices are again? 97.9 at my local station for u/l and the diesel is just as stupid!! Oil @ $70+ per barrel again!!, how much longer are we gonna put up with this? Anyone up for bringing the country to a stand still until we get it to 80p a litre? Just a thought.....
Posted by Paul Ponchaud, 25th May 2007 12:27pm"
If only you knew then that u/l would be £1.10 or more in April 08!!
I'd like to see more done to advance things like hydrogen powered vehicles, and the means with which to "fill 'em up" locally too.
Thomas Hallford April 25, 2008
STRIKE NO ONE BUY FUEL, NO ONE GO WORK FOR ONE WEEK. Lets see how Brown would like that?
Simon Raynor April 19, 2008
its time to strike ! there is a fuel strike on the 6th of june for the whole weekend including monday no one should purchase any fuel in this time because its time we british workers stood up to this thiefing goverments tax scam
Andra Zander December 28, 2007
little birdy told me that fuel prices were being scamed at the pumps & yes i do have knowledge of this as it was witnessed. (by myself) !! police have been alerted as is Customs.
Bob Baillie December 3, 2007
I've been a member of MVPA since February this year and while admitting that I recouped my £100 membership within the first 4 weeks, I find it extremely annoying that for the past 4 or 5 weeks they have either been shut, not answering their phone or basically not had any fuel at all.
I passed on Saturday, noticed they were actually open and went in to enquire about the situation. I was informed that they had fuel - albeit diesel - and when I tried to make enquiries about the unleaded situation was 'informed' they had no information about deliveries.
As someone who spends at least £50 per week on regular fuel, I find this extremely annoying. Unless the situation improves dramatically, I doubt very much if I will be renewing my 'Membership?' next year when it is due. What is the point of joining a scheme if you cannot get the benefits?
G. Mc December 3, 2007
Why is the mvpa closed at stirling with no information for its membres we are all feeling ripped off. The staff in the building through the back do not even bother to answer the door .I rattled the door for ages with no reply .
P December 2, 2007
petrol price stop event 12 dec spead the word
******** December 1, 2007
i agree we should have another fuel strike why should i pay £1.03. a litre for petrol when nearly half of it goes in mr browns pocket? he's a robbing b*****d we were nearly there last itme with the fuel strike lets have another one!!
Hazel Peden November 30, 2007
I considered joining this as I fill up once a week and I am so glad I didn't. They are still advertising from members but have had no fuel for over a month now. Unfortunately a colleague whom I car share with is a member and to say he is mad is an understatement. The place is always closed with no lights on in the office - have they closed up?
Vinny Nield November 26, 2007
We the british people should organise the biggest fuel strike ever to hit britain. The only language this government understands is loss of money. The greed of the tax man is always there and its time we fought back. No warnings of a strike. Just every wagon on the road stop dead and grind britain to a halt and if it causes problems, Tuff. Nothing has ever been won without sacrifice.
Archie Anderson October 28, 2007
I've been a member of MVPA since February and all went well to begin with but it seemed the more members it got, the less fuel became available and you were lucky to get 50 litres a week. Since June it has been easier to get fuel as the price increased to 86p and you could take an unlimited amount of fuel. This week prices have gone down and yet again, no fuel. I was physical pushed out of the reception by a hugely overweight female person. I wasn't even given the courtesy of being told there was no fuel or when it would be available again. I was simply told to look at the poster outside. I tried to explain that I was a member - THEY JUST DON'T GIVE A MONKEYS - THEY'VE GOT MY £100. To sum up four times out of ten they have no fuel and you are not allowed to carry your allowance forward to the next week.
ECCELFECHAN, 28 October 2007, 11.28am
Norwestsailer October 10, 2007
What do you think of this?
I was just surfing around the other day and came across this site
http://www.water4gas.com/2books.htm?hop=nhwstevec
They seem to be able to turn water into hydrogen HHO on a supply and demand basis. Seems OK to me but not being an engineer, I dont know much about these things.
Has anybody tried it or what do you think about it?
If it works it seems to have an awful lot of plus points, and not many negatives.
Have a look at the site and let me know what you think.
Keep Your Stinkin' Petrol September 1, 2007
Wouldn't it be brilliant if the Great British Public just said 'NO'.
Boycott the pumps. Stay off the roads.
Stop buying petrol, stay in bed for a week and watch the economy collapse. I'm sure the Chancellor would rapidly rethink his budget.
Francis Waterson August 28, 2007
THE PRICE MUST COME DOWN SUPPORT THE GARAGES THAT OFFER LOW PRICES AND AVOID WHEN YOU CAN THE DEAR OWNS
Kayleigh Richards August 26, 2007
Most of the comments regarding the MVPA you have all laid down are false. They never were investigated and the story did have to be retracted otherwise the newspaper could have been sued. Police did visit but only to ask if there had been any bother that day as they used to regularly.
Also, if you believe the premises and actions being undertaken to be a scam then just don't bloody join or concern yourself with it. I mean really. Don't you have anything better to do with your time than moan? Oh by the way if it's such a scam why have I just walked away with free fuel to compensate for my loss which will in total over the next few months almost double the amount of money I invested into joining.
Also, the car is a member just so you can register another vehicle if you were to buy another car and not have to worry about making another membership. Or so anyone can go in with my car in the matter of me being ill or for various other reasons.
So for you people who would have nothing to say if the fuel was still 35p (which it will be again) and not 86.9 just shut up. People like you are what causes small business like you (who don't make a single penny of profit by the way) to fold because they can't take the good with the bad and even if they could, they'd still have something to complain about.
Peter Docherty August 13, 2007
I live near the MVPA station and after talking to the staff, talking to some friends who had heard of the scheme decided to give it a miss.
Basically, your car becomes a member of the associaton, therefore, when the HMRC decide its illegal (which eventually they will do when no scientific testing takes place), each member will be held liable for the equivalent tax evasion......i.e. your car will be seized unless the balance is settled.
In addition, the lierature provided was vague to say the least "we are able to undertake this scheme under EU legislation" no reference to what part of the legislation allows the scheme. When I was in the office waiting to be served, I started to look at the various certificates that lined the walls of the office and the lady who was seated at the desk with a customer jumped out of her seat and asked me to wait in the seating area???
No guarantees on the quality of fuel either, personally, I am not willing to risk a £15k asset by filling it with potentially sub-standard fuel with very little comeback.
For all those who joined the definition on a "pyramid scam", I hope my expectations arent realised for you in terms of tax liability.........however if there is one governemnt department you dont want to mess with.........
Peter
3-cyl August 10, 2007
Prices went up 5p due to high oil prices a few months back. The oil prices have calmed but the forecourt prices haven't.
Now is the time a fuel protest!!!!!!!!!
Stop buying ALL supermarket petrol and BP NOW.
The supermarkets will fight back with lowering their prices and induce a price-war.
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