Author Topic: Miles Per Gallon  (Read 5370 times)

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Offline Snoopy

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Miles Per Gallon
« on: October 14, 2007, 05:56:28 PM »
There has been a bit of debate in the CSMA (Civil Service Motoring Association) Magazine for well over a year now and it still crops up in the letters columns from time to time.
Since we have been discussing, elsewhere, the merits of "own brand" I thought I would bring this to the petrol heads for an opinion or three.
Basically there are those who claim that if they fill up at a Supermarket (Sainsbugs, Tesco etc) they get fewer MPG than if they fill up at a "regular" garage (Filling Station nowadays I suppose) owned by one of the major oil companies. Feelings run high on this one (If feelings among a bunch of mainly retired Civil Servants can run high).
I confess I was intrigued by the debate and tried it out by waiting till almost empty and filling to the top at Sainsbury. Result 457 miles before needed to refill ... this was in my Diesel Zafira. Then I tried the local Shell Garage and to my surprise found that I had judged it so well that I purchased almost exactly the same amount of fuel. Anyway that tankful carried us 490 miles before I saw the red light flashing on the dash. Again I returned to Sainsbugs (where the fuel was about 0.5p a litre cheaper and refilled and again only got just over 450 miles before the red light came on..... which seemed to prove the case that the cheaper fuels at the supermarkets do not have those little additives that the major petrol companies put in their mix (That being the popular theory among the majority of magazine contributors).
Whether the additional 0.5p a litre was balanced by the extra miles gained I couldn't be arsed to work out.
I used to have a handle on life but it broke.

Offline Darwins Selection

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Re: Miles Per Gallon
« Reply #1 on: October 14, 2007, 06:14:07 PM »
There are other low-risk strategies.  whistle:

Quote from: Hansard

Diesel Fuel: Agriculture
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many people were charged with using illegal red diesel in (a) England and (b) Lancashire in each of the last 10 years; [124907]

19 Mar 2007 : Column 588W

(2) how many farmers were charged with the illegal use of red diesel for non-agricultural use in (a) England and (b) Lancashire in the each of the last 10 years. [124908]

John Healey: have been asked to reply.

The number of people convicted in relation to hydrocarbon oils fraud in mainland Great Britain is available in the HMRC annual report, and are shown in the following table. The 2006-07 figure will be reported in annual report later this year. The occupation of the people convicted is not reported.

Number of people convicted in Great Britain
2001-02 - 9
2002-03 - 8
2003-04 - 17
2004-05 - 12
2005-06 - 14


I mostly despair

Offline Snoopy

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Re: Miles Per Gallon
« Reply #2 on: October 14, 2007, 06:15:32 PM »
 rubschin: They can't all be Kim
I used to have a handle on life but it broke.

Offline Barman

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Re: Miles Per Gallon
« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2007, 06:30:27 PM »
There has been a bit of debate in the CSMA (Civil Service Motoring Association) Magazine for well over a year now and it still crops up in the letters columns from time to time.
Since we have been discussing, elsewhere, the merits of "own brand" I thought I would bring this to the petrol heads for an opinion or three.
Basically there are those who claim that if they fill up at a Supermarket (Sainsbugs, Tesco etc) they get fewer MPG than if they fill up at a "regular" garage (Filling Station nowadays I suppose) owned by one of the major oil companies. Feelings run high on this one (If feelings among a bunch of mainly retired Civil Servants can run high).
I confess I was intrigued by the debate and tried it out by waiting till almost empty and filling to the top at Sainsbury. Result 457 miles before needed to refill ... this was in my Diesel Zafira. Then I tried the local Shell Garage and to my surprise found that I had judged it so well that I purchased almost exactly the same amount of fuel. Anyway that tankful carried us 490 miles before I saw the red light flashing on the dash. Again I returned to Sainsbugs (where the fuel was about 0.5p a litre cheaper and refilled and again only got just over 450 miles before the red light came on..... which seemed to prove the case that the cheaper fuels at the supermarkets do not have those little additives that the major petrol companies put in their mix (That being the popular theory among the majority of magazine contributors).
Whether the additional 0.5p a litre was balanced by the extra miles gained I couldn't be arsed to work out.
rubschin:
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Offline GROWLER

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Re: Miles Per Gallon
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2008, 04:43:46 PM »
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Waiting for a hand to come and grab me around me throat from out of the screen.  eeek:

Due to the now weekly increases in fuel costs, are you lot starting to drive like old wimmen to obtain maximum mpg?
£1.16 a liter for diesel is taking the piss now, with many more increases to come apparently.
Someone 'in the know' reckons £1.50 a liter by Christmas, with £2 to be expected next year.....THAT'S nearly TEN bastard pounds a gallon ffs!!! eeek:
£100 minimum to fill your tank up!  eeek:

Offline Snoopy

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Re: Miles Per Gallon
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2008, 05:01:52 PM »
I used to have a handle on life but it broke.

Offline Snoopy

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Re: Miles Per Gallon
« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2008, 05:07:45 PM »
February 2007 Prices across the world according to the AA

Quote
                                      Local Currency per litre     Euro cent per litre
Country    Currency    Unleaded    Diesel    Unleaded    Diesel
Austria    Euro    -    -    1.169    1.143
Belgium    Euro    -    -    1.440    1.151
Finland    Euro    -    -    1.406    1.202
Germany    Euro    -    -    1.368    1.257
Greece    Euro    -    -    1.077    1.089
Netherlands Euro    -    -    1.535    1.223
Italy    Euro    -    -    1.370    1.344
Luxembourg Euro    -    -    1.154    1.016
Spain    Euro    -    -    1.083    1.039
France    Euro    -    -    1.323    1.176
Ireland    Euro    -    -    1.169    1.175
Portugal    Euro    -    -    1.369    1.174
Slovenia    Euro    -    -    1.022    1.030
Sweden    Swedish Krona    12.49    12.64    1.345    1.361
Estonia    Kroons    15.20    16.60    0.971    1.061
Latvia    Lats    0.687    0.704    0.979    1.004
Lithuania    Litas    3.53    3.60    1.022    1.043
Slovakia    Koroan    38.94    40.85    1.183    1.241
Switzerland    Swiss Franc    1.74    1.89    1.084    1.178
GB    Sterling    1.039    1.091    1.388    1.457
USA    US Dollars    0.7921    0.87    0.538    0.591
Northern Ireland    Pound Sterling    1.05    1.099    1.395    1.46
Norway    Norwegian Krone    12.25    11.94    1.548    1.509
Poland    Zloty    4.28    3.99    1.173    1.094
Hungary    Forint    293.0    297.0    1.195    1.211
Czech Republic    Czech Koruna    30.30    30.60    1.137    1.148
Denmark    Danish Krone    10.54    9.82    1.414    1.318

But more up to date is this:

April 2008

UK average petrol and diesel prices continue to hit record highs, propelled not only by soaring oil prices but the impact on supply of European refinery maintenance problems. With oil prices touching $115 a barrel, a £5 petrol gallon looks increasingly to be on the cards.

Nationally, unleaded prices have risen by 1.3ppl to 108.1ppl in the past month. Diesel prices have risen by 3.1ppl to 117.4ppl. The price difference between unleaded and diesel has risen from 7.5ppl to 9.3ppl.

London recorded the highest price for unleaded at 108.7ppl followed by Northern Ireland, East Anglia and the South East at 108.5ppl. Yorkshire and Humberside recorded the lowest price for unleaded at 107.2ppl. Wales recorded the highest diesel price at 118.3ppl. The North West and Yorkshire and Humberside still have the cheapest diesel at 116.7ppl.

Supermarket prices for unleaded also rose over the month by 1.4ppl to 106.8ppl. The gap between supermarket prices and the UK average for unleaded has decreased to 1.3ppl.

Overseas prices have risen. The UK has the eleventh highest unleaded price in Europe and the second highest diesel price.
« Last Edit: April 18, 2008, 05:13:41 PM by Snoopy »
I used to have a handle on life but it broke.

Offline Just One More

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Re: Miles Per Gallon
« Reply #7 on: April 18, 2008, 05:10:52 PM »
It can be no more than six months ago that the petrol companies hung on for ages not wanting to break the £1.00 per litre barrier. Once they did, it's gone through the roof. I noticed 120.9p per litre for diesel on the way home tonight  eeek:


Number of people convicted in Great Britain
2001-02 - 9
2002-03 - 8
2003-04 - 17
2004-05 - 12
2005-06 - 14

So when I use to see Customs and Excise outside Chelford farmers market testing fuel all day long they weren't even getting one conviction a week. Money well spent
LiFe - It's an "F" in lie

Offline Snoopy

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Re: Miles Per Gallon
« Reply #8 on: April 18, 2008, 05:28:57 PM »
And to answer Growler's question ... No I do not drive any slower but I do not go out unless I have to.

This is where Tesco/Asda home delivery comes in. It is cheaper to shop on line and pay them £4.50 to deliver than it is to go in the car to do the shopping (an added benefit is that I do not get "caught" out by any impulse shopping).
Apart from the "Birthday Shopping treat" referred to elsewhere I do all my shopping on line. Even allowing for the odd returned item I may have to pay postage on and taking due account of the postage that some companies charge I still save on fuel and parking charges enough to make it more economic than going to the shops. I can't remember the last time I bought a book in a shop and even shopping for Mrs S#2's recent birthday involved only one trip to a centre where I could park for free and get all I needed because most of her birthday gifts came via the internet.

Being a bit agoraphobic helps I suppose as it means I don't really want to go out much anyway so all in all I have reduced my mileage by about 50% over the past couple of years.
I used to have a handle on life but it broke.

Offline GROWLER

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Re: Miles Per Gallon
« Reply #9 on: April 18, 2008, 07:52:45 PM »
Our local Asda now has pay and display!
Not actually Asda cashing in for a change, but the bloody council.
Even though it's nearer for me, I go to one a couple of miles further in the oopposite direction, purely on principle.
75% of my weekly shop is now 'Smart Price' goods too.
SP oven chips, half the price of branded equivelant, and the Growlers jnr's prefered them....until I told them what they were. lol:

Anyone see 'Tonight' tonight, regarding 'rip off Britain'?

What a shock! We ARE apparently being ripped off. ::)
« Last Edit: April 18, 2008, 08:00:13 PM by GROWLER »

Offline GROWLER

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Re: Miles Per Gallon
« Reply #10 on: April 18, 2008, 07:57:53 PM »
France    Euro    -    -    1.323 petrol    1.176 diesel  (euros per liter)

So how come the differential in this rancid filthy thieving country of ours, Shite Britain, it's the other way 'round?

P'raps it's quite simply that the frogs wouldn't tolerate it, and start a riot it if it happened over there...bit like here ey?  ::)

Anyones tummy need tickling, before the revolution starts....maybe, maybe not? rubschin:

Offline Snoopy

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Re: Miles Per Gallon
« Reply #11 on: April 18, 2008, 08:06:55 PM »
Yes we most certainly are. When we lived "Down South" we used to go to France every six weeks, with the car, and do all our shopping there. Clothes, shoes, groceries ~ the lot. Only really bulky items like potatoes and similar heavy stuff was bought in the UK. Even with fares (and there were plenty of book in advance deals going in those days 'cos the tunnel and the ferries were fighting for business) A nice day out and tye savings in Kiddies clothes and shoes alone paid for the trips. Food was better and cheaper and I could fill up over there for half the price it was in the UK. Living only a two hour run (leave early Saturday morning) would see us on the 6am ferryu eating brekky, day in Calaise shopping and on the 4pm ferry back again. Allowing for the clock diff twixt us and them these timings made sure we  could fit everything in nicely.
The UK has been a rip off for many years.

Diesel is more popular in France and their Government kept their word that if you switched to diesel they would not tax it out of range but would make sure it stayed lower than petrol. It certainly costs less to produce so tax is the only explanation and my maths (admitedly poor) makes that £1.032 per litre petrol and £0.917 per litre for diesel at 78 pence to the euro!
I used to have a handle on life but it broke.

Offline GROWLER

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Re: Miles Per Gallon
« Reply #12 on: April 18, 2008, 10:05:37 PM »
So that makes it all the more puzzling as to why the gap between petrol and diesel is now at its widest ever in this country, and widening by the week. cussing:
Diesel approx £5.26 a gallon, against petrol @ £4.81
It doesn't however take a rocket scientist to work out what these bastards are up to...... angry037

.....I'd be very suprised if there hasn't been some sort of demanding directive from the treasury or customs to the fuel producers, to heap most of the increases onto diesel, to counter balance the superior fuel consumption of these derv burners. The higher the price, the more fuel tax AND vat they get. They must be raking it in. Banghead




This is also why the supermarkets have hiked the price of veggie oil, because of the increased demand by diesel vehicle owners, trying to 'cheat' the system.
No vat or fuel tax on this product, (yet) so the supermarkets are just in it for a 'quick buck'. Needless to say, my ranting email to Asda HQ on this very topic went unanswered. 45p a liter up to 99p in less than a year.
Bloody heaving mounds of pulsating parasitic vermin. evil:

I have met a few veggie burning owners who have gone to great expense to install pre heaters into their fuel lines to thin it out before it enters the fuel pump. They are not happy...at all.  evil:
DIY kits to convert old cooking oil is the only viable option now, but you try getting it! Even the chippies are hiking their prices now. ::)
Even if you can, it's a messy labourious solution, plus you need storage facilities.

Actually you know, my piss is getting so damned hot lately, I could probably run the car on it. ::)

Whichever way you turn, this bunch of thieving parasitic tramps will steal the hard earned money out of your pockets. After all they have a fat greedy ugly dollop of dog diaorehea called Prescott to be kept satisfied with an endless supply of pies. sick2:


Now. This revolution. It's long overdue.  sex014
« Last Edit: April 18, 2008, 10:37:08 PM by GROWLER »

Offline GROWLER

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Re: Miles Per Gallon
« Reply #13 on: April 18, 2008, 10:46:16 PM »
The BBC's Business Editor Jeff Randall said higher petrol costs would be felt throughout industry, but added that it did not feel like a return to the 1970s.

There was no sense that the world was heading into recession, he said.

Wouldn't bother asking 'Mystic Jeff' for this weeks lottery numbers then. ::)

Offline Barman

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Re: Miles Per Gallon
« Reply #14 on: April 19, 2008, 07:49:09 AM »
Do you remember when petrol reached 50p a gallon and all the news programmes were predicting that nobody would ever drive again?

All these years later, petrol ten times more expensive, roads ten times more crowded and people are still driving.

Why?

Cos public transport is still shite that’s why!  cussing:
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