[News] There's no need to panic buy petrol

[BNthree]

We just purchased a new car and get delivery in December, the wife wanted an electric car, but they are so expensive and the millage on them before you have to re charge them put me off especially for long journeys. My argument was give it another 3 years when we change again, the millage should be better and the prices should drop and possibly the government may offer incentives to swap over to a greener option. They should by now to be honest. Wish I could have afforded an electric though to be honest.

Can imagine quite a few will want to convert over to electric cars by the time this is all over.

 

[Arthritic Toe]

It would ensure that those down to their last £10 wouldn't be filling up for sure.

And some cars won't take £50 volume of fuel. They'd have to put some in a jerry can.

The issue seems to be the practicality of enforcing a minimum spend - which is a fair argument.
Pretty sure all cars can hold 50 pounds worth of petrol though.

As for those down to their last tenner - again fair enough.

A min spend would fix the problem though if it could be implemented. A max spend does nothing to help.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

We just purchased a new car and get delivery in December, the wife wanted an electric car, but they are so expensive and the millage on them before you have to re charge them put me off especially for long journeys. My argument was give it another 3 years when we change again, the millage should be better and the prices should drop and possibly the government may offer incentives to swap over to a greener option. They should by now to be honest. Wish I could have afforded an electric though to be honest.

Guy I work with has a pretty cheap lease deal on a Tesla and does an 80 mile round trip commute each working day.

 

[Insel affe]

The issue seems to be the practicality of enforcing a minimum spend - which is a fair argument.
Pretty sure all cars can hold 50 pounds worth of petrol though.

As for those down to their last tenner - again fair enough.

A min spend would fix the problem though if it could be implemented. A max spend does nothing to help.

Maximum or Minimum do you really think that will make a difference to those stupid enough to panic buy, some people love being stupid and are so good at it they will join a queue and argue the toss later, it wont stop idiots joining a queue....

 

[zefarelly]

I have everything crossed on the hope of a new job within walking distance of home.

if you're down to your last tenner running a car is probably part of your financial problem.

 

[sparkie]

I have everything crossed on the hope of a new job within walking distance of home.

if you're down to your last tenner running a car is probably part of your financial problem.

Undoubtedly it would be part of a bigger financial problem. But it's a very harsh penalty to be barred from refuelling your car because of it.

Being in financial difficulty is not actually a crime.

 

[HH Brighton]

Far from getting better the situation seems to be getting worse. Down to my last 5% add tried 6 garages this morning all without petrol since yesterday.

 

[Creaky]

The issue seems to be the practicality of enforcing a minimum spend - which is a fair argument.
Pretty sure all cars can hold 50 pounds worth of petrol though.

As for those down to their last tenner - again fair enough.

A min spend would fix the problem though if it could be implemented. A max spend does nothing to help.

That would rule out the wife driving - Fiat 500, 35l tank

In any case how would you impose a minimum spend? Draw up at pump, put a tenners worth in tank and go to pay - “that’ll be £50 madam” - that’s going to work - not!

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

That would rule out the wife driving - Fiat 500, 35l tank

In any case how would you impose a minimum spend? Draw up at pump, put a tenners worth in tank and go to pay - “that’ll be £50 madam” - that’s going to work - not!

Why wouldn’t it ? Big sign outside giving the new terms and conditions. Take it or leave it. Enforced the same way payment for petrol is currently enforced.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

That would rule out the wife driving - Fiat 500, 35l tank

In any case how would you impose a minimum spend? Draw up at pump, put a tenners worth in tank and go to pay - “that’ll be £50 madam” - that’s going to work - not!

Would have to get the £10 worth of fuel, plus a Costa latte and 37 twixes.

 

[dsr-burnley]

Why wouldn’t it ? Big sign outside giving the new terms and conditions. Take it or leave it. Enforced the same way payment for petrol is currently enforced.

There are strict laws about displaying petrol prices on pumps and on forecourts. I doubt the petrol stations would be legally able to override them.

 

[dsr-burnley]

The issue seems to be the practicality of enforcing a minimum spend - which is a fair argument.
Pretty sure all cars can hold 50 pounds worth of petrol though.

As for those down to their last tenner - again fair enough.

A min spend would fix the problem though if it could be implemented. A max spend does nothing to help.

What happens if your car can hold £51 of petrol, and the petrol station you choose to go to with your fuel light flashing red, has no fuel? You might be struggling to get to another petrol station, or back home. £50 is a ridiculous hypothetical figure, designed by someone with the attitude "I am rich, get the poor people out of my way".

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

Undoubtedly it would be part of a bigger financial problem. But it's a very harsh penalty to be barred from refuelling your car because of it.

Being in financial difficulty is not actually a crime.

But it does actually say a lot about our society and culture that the car is considered an absolute necessity and a right to have one. How do you tax, service, MOT and generally maintain a car if you can't afford to put £10 of fuel in it? If you can't put £10 in it, what do you do if it needs new tyres, needs a new bulb etc.? It's surely time to think about alternatives. In fact we all need to think about alternatives to using our cars so often. The desperation this crisis is causing just shows why we're so terrified of progressing on from a reliance on the motor vehicle. Why making city centres traffic free, or introducing cycle lanes is met with such resistance. It really does highlight the car obsession we have in the UK.

 

[Rugrat]

The situation has to stabilise. Up to last week, the population as a whole kept their cars at a certain percentage of capacity - probably about 50-60%. The fuel deliveries kept pace with the demand. Then the population as a whole decided to top up to say 90% capacity and the fuel companies couldn't cope. Once we reach the 90% or whatever the figure is, the situation will stabilise because demand can't go any higher. (Barring relatively tiny amounts of illegal home fuel storage, of course.)

Entirely logical but I suspect it will be a while before this has passed. It will only happen when every one who owns a car (or multiple cars) has every one full to brim. I'm not holding my breath for rational/decent behaviour to return any time soon (if indeed it ever existed amongst many)

 

[BNthree]

On Friday I've got to drive up the A26 and was wondering what the queues outside the garages in Crowborough had been like? Worried it has potential to really slow down my journey. (Don't want to refuel there, just worried I might need to leave earlier).

 

[zefarelly]

Undoubtedly it would be part of a bigger financial problem. But it's a very harsh penalty to be barred from refuelling your car because of it.

Being in financial difficulty is not actually a crime.

no not at all, a tenners worth would get me to work and back for the rest of the week, a tenners worth which I don't currently have . . . I've only got a tenner in my wallet, but it is payday tomorrow!

when I did regularly only have a tenner a car was never even on the radar. a push bike was more appropriate.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

There are strict laws about displaying petrol prices on pumps and on forecourts. I doubt the petrol stations would be legally able to override them.

Why is that a problem ? Display the price that is closest to the limit and restrict volumes.

 

[dsr-burnley]

Why is that a problem ? Display the price that is closest to the limit and restrict volumes.

It's a problem because if the law says that you can only charge the price per litre that is on the pump, then it will be illegal to enforce charging a price higher than what is on the pump.

 

[Bry Nylon]

.. .people are topping up like never before. Clearly have nothing better to do.

Are we now in the grip of the serial "topper-uppers" who's selfishness is preventing things from stabilising?

I haven't been near a fuel station since the middle of last week as I had enough to get by and hoped it would all blow over by the beginning of this week, plus I had no interest in being part of the problem when I had no cause to be. But I am now down to >50 miles and fear that I will need this just to undertake a search for somewhere I can actually get some fuel.

I have to go to the Cotswolds this weekend because as a family we will finally be holding a wake for my father. He died just before Christmas but covid restrictions in place at the time meant we could only hold a basic funeral and no gathering afterwards. This is our first opportunity to get everybody together since so that we may remember my dad. So if I finally manage to get fuel and find that person in front of me has put in less than a tenner, god help them.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Are we now in the grip of the serial "topper-uppers" who's selfishness is preventing things from stabilising?

I haven't been near a fuel station since the middle of last week as I had enough to get by and hoped it would all blow over by the beginning of this week, plus I had no interest in being part of the problem when I had no cause to be. But I am now down to >50 miles and fear that I will need this just to under-take a search for somewhere I can actually get some fuel.

I have to go to the Cotswolds this weekend because as a family we will finally be holding a wake for my father. He died just before Christmas but covid restrictions in place at the time meant we could only hold a basic funeral and no gathering afterwards. This is our first opportunity to get everybody together since so that we may remember my dad. So if I finally manage to get fuel and find that person in front of me has put in less than a tenner, god help them.

We're doing similar for the late mother in law, which was why I was pleased we got fuel at 6am.