Financial News
- 17 November 2012, 5:29
Fuel Prices: AA Demands Action For Motorists
The AA has accused ministers of failing drivers and businesses by not clamping down on what is sees as unfair fuel prices.
The motoring group says while average unleaded prices have gone down from 138.95p a litre in mid-October to 135.08p - with diesel dropping from 143.74p to 141.89p - motorists are still being short-changed.
It believes the fall in wholesale petrol prices across Europe should have knocked UK pump prices down by between 10p and 11p a litre instead of by an average 4p.
Despite the signs that the Chancellor is poised to postpone the planned fuel duty rise of 3p a litre due in January, the AA said drivers were facing a series of pressures including a "postcode lottery" in fuel prices.
It found that motorists in one area can be charged as much as 5p a litre more than drivers a few miles away.
AA president Edmund King said: "The Government momentarily had a grip of this monster when the previous Transport Secretary (Justine Greening) called in the industry to agree wholesale price transparency.
"This initiative stalled when the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) called for information on road fuel pricing - to which the industry has responded by pumping up wholesale prices and then not passing on cost savings in a timely fashion.
"The average UK domestic energy bill is £1,252 but the cost of fuel for the average car consuming 1,200 litres a year is over £1,500.
"This week the Government said it was going to tackle high gas and electricity bills, yet lets drivers and businesses down by not reacting swiftly to runaway wholesale and pump prices."
Earlier this week, Economic Secretary to the Treasury Sajid Javid said the Government understood the pressures facing households and was determined to help with the cost of living.
He said: "The Government is doing all it can to help hard-working families with the cost of living and putting money back into their pockets.
"Action on fuel duty is part of this. Fuel duty is currently 20% lower in real terms compared to its peak in March 2000 and 7% lower compared to May 2010."
what do you think?
Jonathan Goodwin-Self
In East Anglia the price is a lot higher. Osborne and Labour want the tax up but 100% of people say no.
blue side
O when will the politicians realise the knock on effect of fuel prices - do they think the trucks carrying the goods, the buses carrying people and diesel trains run on fresh air. Whatever tax incentives commercial users get (i.e. farmers) the cost of f uel goes on the price of goods and services it has an inflationary effect and it compounds at every stage in the production / supply chain. This ignores the cost to those who have jobs and are trying to get to work.
david
WELCOME TO RIP OFF BRITAIN
bobh_385
Yes David and the politicians are the worst of the bunch,stealing ever increasing amounts of our hard earned money
Brian E Gorton
Listen you lot, do you think politicians can think!! A plitician should never ever be given responsibilty of any kind. If you do think that they THINK THAT IS you are living in clouded cuckoo land!!!!
hollywoodbowden
We are taxed and taxed and taxed and nothing is spent on our country all goes abroad its a joke
Adrian Wagstaff
The AA have to use fuel as well! They're as angry as we are! What we need is something doing about fuel costs without causing ourselves too much trouble! I'll think of something ... dunno ... blockades really get on me nerves. I'll think of something else. Aha! I know, yes, why are we ... blockading ourselves if we can blockade the people ... taking all the money from the excessive fuel costs! They're the ones who should be blockaded! Not ourselves! How are blockades part of peaceful protesting, anyway? Isn't a blockade the same as rioting? It's not just protesting, is it? I'd classify a blockade as a riot, myself. Are they even allowed to do blockades? That's what we normally see on the news. Even the AA, themselves are having trouble with buying fuel at the cost it is!
Danny Cooper
Haha drunk so early?
bjnk
We are hardly surviving,don't believe any of this garbage of 2.7% inflation.In another news item they are now paving the way to report they have just s c r ewed us for another 66 billion, and we say oh ok,yes let the poor bankers keep their bonuses and profit we'll take the losses, keep feeding the rich and ruling class. When are people in this country going to wake up and do something about this.
Dave Harrison
Wait until the end of the financial year when the OIl companies announce record double digit increases in profits in much the same way as the energy companies have. They will then tell us they are not profiteering in the next breath Yeah really
Windows Live User
5:12am on 16/11/2012
Treasury Economic Secretary Sajid Javid is not helping, as not one penny has come into our pockets, besides it is pounds per day we need to get back onto an even keel. Up goes Breads food petrol (the price is false to take us off the road) electricity gas clothes All the basics we need Get these people to live out here for a year and lets hear him and his family scream like we are