Petrol and Diesel Prices

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Tue 4 Jul 2023 20:28
Petrol and Diesel Prices - sammy1

So the CMA has at last confirmed that the retail fuel market has in the last few years doubled its profit margins and how quick retailers put up prices and are slow to reduce them. So what possible good would their recommendation of a "pump watch system" do to help the consumer. The supermarkets in particular seem to work as a cartel with no real differences in their prices and priced in an area not particularly worried about independent retailers. They know that store visitors will probably buy their fuel so they will get a good market share whatever. So if they decide to hold their margins only GOV are going to get them to change their ways. So nothing will change will it? As to motorway fuel prices these are ridiculous but people are buying fuel at these prices!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 4 Jul 2023 21:21
Petrol and Diesel Prices - Manatee

The CMA proposes that fuel retailers be required to provide a feed of their prices, and those will be available to consumers probably via an app. If enough consumers seek out the cheapest fuel, it should exert downward pressure on prices.

I have noticed over the last year or two that price displays at fuel station seem to have become optional. The price of E5/high octane fuel is rarely displayed until one is actually buying it.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 4 Jul 2023 21:39
Petrol and Diesel Prices - alan1302

The supermarkets raise the margins on fuel to try and steady the food costs...if they lower fuel costs then they will just put it on food...swings and roundabouts.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 4 Jul 2023 22:00
Petrol and Diesel Prices - daveyjp

Having a supermarket which always used to sell the cheapest supermsrket fuel now owned by a family which also runs a large number of fuel stations probably wasn't wise.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 4 Jul 2023 23:21
Petrol and Diesel Prices - Terry W

Assuming a 40 litre fill - quarter empty to full - would save £2.40 at the average 6p "overcharge".

Rather less than a cup of mediocre coffee!

Reality is that most consumers will fill up where convenient - driving (say) an extra couple of miles and wasting 15 minutes in traffic just isn't worth it.

Government action and data feeds etc is more political spin to demonstrate they are doing something even if it has no real impact.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 5 Jul 2023 05:18
Petrol and Diesel Prices - JonestHon

Assuming a 40 litre fill - quarter empty to full - would save £2.40 at the average 6p "overcharge".

Rather less than a cup of mediocre coffee!

Reality is that most consumers will fill up where convenient - driving (say) an extra couple of miles and wasting 15 minutes in traffic just isn't worth it.

Government action and data feeds etc is more political spin to demonstrate they are doing something even if it has no real impact.

I tend to agree with you but the cynical in me is jumping up.

Why do I get the feeling that if this UK government will develop an app that will do the above it will cost so much in failed tech and delays that it will wipe off any savings the motorist (and tax payer) might get from the comparison (see their attempt at the NHS app during the pandemic vs what Google and Apple built which was eventually adopted instead).

I am sure there are other ways to incentivised the cartel to break up. It is a political choice.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 5 Jul 2023 09:57
Petrol and Diesel Prices - Andrew-T

Rather less than a cup of mediocre coffee!

True, but anyone (motorist or not) wishing to save money would make their own coffee for a lot less !

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 5 Jul 2023 10:24
Petrol and Diesel Prices - 72 dudes

Besides, a perfectly good App already exisits - it's called Petrolprices.com (Ihave no affinity to it)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 5 Jul 2023 13:42
Petrol and Diesel Prices - Theophilus

Besides, a perfectly good App already exisits - it's called Petrolprices.com (Ihave no affinity to it)

The problem with the app is that prices are not updated daily, looking at fuel stations within 5 miles of me today I see prices varying from today to over a week old ... not so very helpful when fuel prices are up and down like a yoyo.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 5 Jul 2023 15:29
Petrol and Diesel Prices - sammy1

Besides, a perfectly good App already exisits - it's called Petrolprices.com (Ihave no affinity to it)

The problem with the app is that prices are not updated daily, looking at fuel stations within 5 miles of me today I see prices varying from today to over a week old ... not so very helpful when fuel prices are up and down like a yoyo.

With the school holidays about to start just watch the fuel prices UP!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 5 Jul 2023 17:54
Petrol and Diesel Prices - Bromptonaut

With the school holidays about to start just watch the fuel prices UP!

If demand goes up and supply is static prices go up too.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 5 Jul 2023 17:18
Petrol and Diesel Prices - FoxyJukebox
This is exactly seems to be the policy of a fairly large East Sussex independent supermarket. They flaunt they have lowest fuel prices locally , but their in shop prices are anecdotally higher than Waitrose!,
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 5 Jul 2023 15:27
Petrol and Diesel Prices - Bromptonaut

I have noticed over the last year or two that price displays at fuel station seem to have become optional.

We noticed that filling stations in Scotland were not displaying prices but assumed that perhaps the devolved government had done away with the requirement.

Is it an English/Welsh thing too?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 5 Jul 2023 16:37
Petrol and Diesel Prices - FP

"Is it an English/Welsh thing too?"

Well, it happens here. There is a local Sainsbury's that is usually one of the cheapest, if not the cheapest in the area and it never seems to display the prices. Goodness knows why - you'd think they would be trying to pull the punters in.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 5 Jul 2023 16:05
Petrol and Diesel Prices - Sparrow

I don't understand why we cannot have a rule like there is in Canada. Several years ago I wondered why all the fuel stations had dropped their petrol prices. Apparently it was related to an oil price fall. It would prevent the silly nonsense we get here of oli price rises, fuel goes up. Oil price falls, fuel price might fall sometime or other when or if the press get hold of a story.

Edited by Sparrow on 05/07/2023 at 16:06

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 5 Jul 2023 17:35
Petrol and Diesel Prices - barney100

They will charge what people will pay. Companies selling essentials are sitting pretty. Government take a large chunk in fuel taxes.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link