Your Comments

I can't drive any less. I go to and from work every day, that's it. Public transport isn't an option as it will cost even more and is far less convenient due to where I work (Two busses required, and only one every hour, hardly ever on time).

I've been looking this morning at selling my car for something more economical, it absolutely disgusts and saddens me that I have to do this, however thanks to the 'wonderful' scrappage scheme, car prices are ridiculous and I can't really afford the sort of car I'm after without getting top dollar for mine and still plonking down at least another £1,000 on top... something I simply can not afford to do.

I have noticed that cars aren't driving quite as fast, perhaps like me, they're mindful of using more fuel. Have to drive of course for work but think about combining drive to work with shopping etc., more than before.

I just spent 10 years in Tenerife the fuel there went down within 24hr when the price of crude came down why cant it happen here ???

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You can't say that the falling pound has been the main reason for prices rising when tax makes up 65% of the price, compared to only 27% for the product itself.

Anyway, why has it got anything to do with exchange rates? We have our own oil, Brent Crude from the North Sea, so why is it being sold to us in dollars? Looks like we are getting ripped off again.

I consider it a complete disgrace that when there is an increase in the price of oil as there was last year, the news is all over the TV about how the cost of petrol and diesel are going to rise instantly to pay for this increase. But then when the price of the oil decreases back down again the public never see a cost reduction at the pump, instead it remains at a crazy high price!

Lets all stop buying for a period, make the effort to use public transport.

that will bring the price down

I agree - let's protest now and get as much media coverage as possible - it should be a major election issue as it effects millions of tax payers. Where is all the money going? I've never seen as many pot-holes, its an absolute joke. We're not greedy - let's bring the price down to about £1 - we will spend the money elsewhere enjoying ourselves, still contributing to the economy!

Wouldn't it be great if there was a new petrol company that worked on a not-for-profit basis? Something like the Co-op or a mutual building society. Even better if they could source oil directly instead of on the futures markets where greedy unscrupulous traders manipulate prices for their own benefit (think Enron). could there be ethical Fairtrade petrol like for coffee and chocolate?

get on your bike

I use Diesel, not petrol, and for the first time for years diesel was cheaper than petrol when I bought some on 6th April. Whilst road fuels are more than expensive enough, the crazy thing is that the fixed costs of motoring are so high (VED, insurance, servicing, depreciation) and cost of public transport prohibitive (if it exists in ones area) that once someone has got a vehicle they are inclined to use it, whatever the cost of fuel. Many people need a larger vehicle, which will use more fuel, and so they will be paying more tax, but they will also be paying more VED, JUST FOR OWNING THE BIGGER VEHICLE. It is the use of a vehicle which causes emissions & emits CO2, not the ownership (apart from the embedded energy in making the vehicle) and so VED should be abolished and the loss in revenue added to fuel costs - at least then the taxation would be proportionate to use of the vehicle.

How many businesses do not rely on transport costs to price their goods? I see the interest rate has been pinned down - and I am astonished that no politician thinks that we are no angered by an increase in fuel tax! We pay more per litre than US pays per gallon. Don't listen to people saying this is because of the barrel prices - this is entirely down to the greedy hidden tax by THIS GOVERNMENT. Yes protest and I will come with you!

The price has risen so much now that people are using their car less. The petrol retailers and government will be taking less money overall as there is less demand. People are driving slower now and less frequently as the price is exhorbitant. If the price were to go up any more then I think it will have a huge affect on profits.

It's foolish to say it's the level of the pound against the dollar which is the main factor in the price of petrol - yes it plays a part, but the government have most say in how much is charged for a litre of petrol. If Labour were to halve the amount of tax they charge per litre the cost would drop to around 80p per litre which is a fair and reasonable sum!

As far as I'm concerned the majority of blame lies at the door of Number 10 (or 11).

I live in a semi rural area (no choice) where transport is fairly limited and I have no option but to use my car for work, shopping, appointments etc. My weekly petrol costs have got to the point where I am seriously concerned. My salary is not large and the increasing petrol prices are eating into my salary at an alarming rate.

The big trouble is there isn't any good alternative to Petrol/Diesel cars.
Electric just don't have a good enough range, let alone just how bad the batteries are that they use! And how expensive would they be to replace once they do die?

Buses and Trains, really expensive (were I live) and the trains aren't exactly reliable! Delays, delays, delays.

Come on Hydrogen fuel cell...

In this current climate fuel prices effect everything, the food on your plate to the fuel you buy. Apart from the fact that Fuel now takes up significantly more of my wages it is unfortunately a necessary evil for alot of us and I have to go to work. What does amaze me is in a time when recovery should be the primary goal of the government they are still adding their fuel tax increases, a reduction of which would see the prices of everything fall and so getting people spending again. We are long overdue action by the people, this government is supposed to serve, but maybe we should be concentrating on boycotting one or two suppliers like BP and Esso, just buy somewhere else. The problem with the fuel protests before was getting petrol to get to work, and if i cant get to work its gonna cost me more than a few extra quid in my tank

Unfortunately driving is part of most peoples daily life and almost impossible to find a suitable substitute. The cost of fuel over the past few years has become a serious issue for most households whilst families try to juggle the rising costs of living against, in most cases the frozen wage rises.
I have asked myself why the British public stand by and accept the fuel increases but still moan about the cost to friends, family or collegues. It's certainly time that the British public address their thoughts to the relevant bodies by turning their weekly moans into major public issues.
Sadly I feel that the british public are in too much of a daily rush for my opinions to become reality. From a disgruntled car owner !!

As pointed out already, the currency drop isn't the sole issue. The cost of the underlying commodity is only a fraction of what we pay at the pump. Because VAT is one of the taxes applied, the higher the price goes the more the government gets in taxes. Why do we put up with this?

I'm certainly driving less. Productivity associated with transferable labour is down. It's like the government would like me to stay home and stop being part of the economy. It should give back the tax windfall that pours in when prices go up.

If 2/3 of the price is tax we should stop that immediately. AT LEAST the government should only impose FIXED levies per liter instead of sliding taxes that RISE when the cost of oil goes up.

oil price could be priced in regional currency-so uk would be Euro. Pound gaining slightly better (than dollar) on euro(after big drop though!) at the moment. Think would be lot of issues with this-but could be done. Just replaced car recently - right at last moment realised could not justify the addiotional cost of diesel model over petrol. So feeding the 1.6 petrol all sorts of remedies to get more mpg - Put nitrogen in tyres and keep correctly inflated. Engine treatment redex or stp every 2k miles. fully synthetic oil change such as castrol edge or Mobil 1. When tyres wear out replace with eco tyres ( low rolling resistance) - another 3 - 6% fuel save- such as firestone firehawk tz200. Hope this helps

well i got rid of my trusty old rover 75.great car but now too costly to run,,i am a pensioner..so now have no car,,,bloody buses and walking .they say it does me good..but my kids live 45 miles away,,long walk,,no direct bus line,,and i miss my grand kids.
somebody invent a cheap fuel and blow the greedy oil barons away

As we are all probably aware that in the UK we are taxed by the present and any future government on litterly everything, although most people who drive cars do not realise the reality of just how much we are taxed and where does all the money actually go, because the uk roads are in an appalling state with more pot holes the size of volcanos, but the major issue is why should this UK government ever more greedy ripping of the drivers through sleath tax unbeknown to a majority of us, but when you sit back and anlaysis the amount of tax we actually pay. We pay tax when we buy a car, we pay tax on the insurance that we need to drive our cars, we pay tax for the pleasure of driving on the clapped out roads with pot holes, then we pay tax a 95% chunk of the petrol we buy is taxed but know one realises just how much when all combined the overall figure is so scarry its enough to make you weep yet we are powerless to do anything about it because we are individuals.

As for the Governments present and future, well all mouth and trousers, of course nothing will ever change and why because petrol is a good little earner, it brings in the needed cash to fund the greedy banks who on the other hand are taxing us to save in their banks.

It makes you want to screem in particular when you compare to other countries where there is nothing like the ripp off we suffer in this country, and the irritating part of all of this is that if we refuse to comply we are put in prision because it is compulsory and illegal to comply so we are enforced by law to pay whether we like it or not.

Petrol and etc will continue rising until it is so high that it will litteraly be unaffordable to a point that only the rich will be able to afford the petrol for their cars and no one else will be able to afford to run or drive a car.

What a sad society that the governments are creating squeezing out the middle classes and killing off the working classes.

So what can we do about it that is the question, protesting falls on deaf ears, every complaint only adds more tax, the cheek of the present and every other government is to not let the poor mug who needs to use their car has no option and not even realise they are being ripped off because the rises as the Mr Darling stated the tax will rise gradually like we are not supposed to notice.

I can foresee petrol rising up to £5.00 a litre and don't forget what a litre is its the same as a 4 pints of mile the amount of milk that you buy in a carton from the supermarket, so what are you getting for your money not a lot which is why we are being ripped off and no one even notices because in the UK we are all so used to being ripped off.

ANYBODY got any ideas on how to stop the rise in petrol apart from making sure the present government being re elected and the others doing more for the motorist but that is unlikely to happen.

The government and local councils all want us to use public transport. Great, if you could rely on the buses and trains running to timetable (or even just turning up) and the cost wasn't so astronomical. Would also help if bus services ran to the places I want to get to. I have cut my car journeys down as much as possible, think about how I drive, and still the petrol is costing me a fortune.

I can see no reason why petrol/diesel/fuel should be taxed any differently from any other commodity - just have VAT added at the prevailing rate.

In order to recover the 'lost' revenue, that would mean raising VAT to 25% - but what's wrong with that, if it means that everything transported by road becomes cheaper?

The Govt needs to raise an ADDITIONAL £200 BILLION (or cut its expenditure by the same sum) each and every year for a decade if we are to get out of our current financial 'Brown hole'. That would mean abolishing all Defence, NHS and Education expenditure........ and STILL leave a short-fall.

The state of our State finances is so truly appalling that emigration is the only way out.

It will only get worse can see it going to £2.00 ltr in next 18mths whats worse is the goverment no matter what party just use us as a cash cow.

I now cant afford to use my car anymore. Also parking charges have gone up where I work to £4.50 per day so with fuel on top its back to an hour to get to work on bus by instead of half hour in car. Bus pass is £18.50 per week which is cheaper although more time consuming.

The last time Petrol was around £1.20 per litre the price of a barrel of crude oil was near to $150.

A barrel of crude oil is now nearly half that price so why is Petrol / Diesel back at £1.20 per litre?

Whilst the pound / dollar exchange rate has fallen somewhat since crude was at $150 the companies that supply crude and refined petrochemicals are multinationals so don't tell me the £/$ exchange rate affects them in such a big way.

Don't they hedge their funds to even out currency fluctuations?

The root of this problem lies in the apathy amongst the British public and in sheer profiteering by the Petrochemical companies with our corrupt Government piggy-backing on the gravy train.

A national fuel protest is the only way this will alter, and now is a great time before the election. Count me in.

The Government is short of cash, having to prop up a HUGE public service network; it sees the motorist as an easy source of revenue. We pay one of the highest rates of tax in the world on petrol and diesel. Things may change for the better when this Government is thrown out of office, but I wouldn't hold my breath! If Gordon Brown clings on, things will certainly just get worse and worse.

I'm sure I've already seen a fuel protest being organised on facebook for 1st May.

All i can say as a retired person i am glad i dont need to use my car much ....the cost of fuel is not justified....just a big tax rip off.....and what is the tax spent on...not the roads that for sure....

It's time follow what the French would do at a time like this. Let protest, block the ports, the motor ways, the cities and the refineries.

The prices are getting out of control, I am putting in at least £45 per month more into my tank compared to several months ago. I can't afford it and my budget doesnt allow me to spend anymore than I already am. It is appalling that there is so much tax on petrol. The goverenment is killing people like me! Do they only want us to work to survive? What can be done. I would like to know. Why arent there any more strikes or lobbying??

petrol prices has my full support of protesting to bring petrol price down.

I think its going to stay around this level till election and after election it will start going down to around £1.05 - £1.10 but still thats a rip off as well. 5 years ago petrol price in my area use to be 70p per litre and now its nearly doubled. its disgusting.

I'm afraid I can't agree with you on 2 counts

Firstly I'm paying 121.9p/litre for deisel at the moment

Secondly, back in June/July 2008 I was paying 133.9p/litre

To do an honest comparison one would need to take off the extra duty imposed by the government between now and then, which is probably 4p, making todays price theoretically 117.9p -- this then is 88% of the 2008 price -- still far too high when you compare the oil price between then and now

Regards

Alan

As much as I would like there to be a fuel protest to register our concern, it is regrettably unlikely to be effective. Since the sales revenue received by the retailers is not earning much interest at present, they can stand a day's delay because we will all fill up the next day, won't we. Their accounts are annual, and our demand is pretty much static over a year. The government is disingenuous in promoting environmental concern, when they know that privatisation has wrecked "public" transport, pushing us into our cars, thus generating huge tax revenues. Another issue is the UK tax regime as applied to oil companies - the law does not allow the very profitable exploration and production activities to cross-subsidise the not-very-profitable retail activities. (While not an apologist for retailers, note that they only get a few pence gross margin per litre, out of which they have to build, staff and operate the petrol stations). I don't see any quick fix to this - if you're in work you're lucky enough to have an income to buy fuel to get to work. Fuel costs are high and rising, but you have to consider them within a context of the total cost of living (i.e. your own personal situation, not the RPI).

Fuel prices does not seem to be an election issue. I don't understand why. The UK is at odds with the EU with respect to diesel prices. This obviouly effects all goods transported by road & thus has a direct effect on the cost of living. The Labour government has targeted fuel prices ever since they came to power - spurred on by the Greens I suspect with respect to diesel. I live in a rural area (Scotland) - there is no practical public transport. Petrol increases I can semi understand, however diesel no. (I drive a petrol car). Just one more aspect of tax tax tax. I wish I beleived a change of government would help but I dont.

it just getting beyond a joke now, i start work @ 4:30 in the morning so there is no public transport, i drive to and from work and drive for a living too, why fuel duty needs to be half the price of the fuel is stupid, they are trying to kill the country.