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| Spiralling Fuel Costs? Claw Back Your Cash!, 4th March 2008
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Petrol prices have never been so high, with it simply impossible to get a litre of standard unleaded in the UK for less than £1 a litre, short of stealing that is. While back in 2000 truckers and farmers blockaded refineries as fuel passed the 80p a litre mark, it seems as a nation we have reluctantly accepted the huge rise in fuel costs, and are content to do 'the English thing', which means sitting around complaining without actually doing anything.
So why is the price of petrol so high? It's not, as some pressure groups would have you believe, that the oil is running out, oil has never been so plentiful, but instability in some middle-eastern countries have reduced the number of sources the oil comes from, coupled with China's huge increase in consumption, it comes down to basic economics, supply vs demand, which has driven the price of a barrel of oil to over $100.
While Shell made record profits in 2007, you would be forgiven in blaming the fuel companies for the high price of fuel, but even with the $27Billion you would be surprised how little the oil company makes from you at the pump.
At the current prices, for finding, drilling, extracting, transporting, refining, distributing and delivering the petrol to your local forecourt, the oil companies charge just 40p per litre.
The rest of the cost is all tax, and is actually 2 taxes.
Firstly you are charged 'Fuel Duty', at 50p per Litre, which is due to rise by another 2p this year, but that's not all, as you are also charged VAT (value added tax) and 17.5% on top of the fuel and amazingly the fuel duty. Yes, you pay tax on the tax!
So, how can you save money on your fuel bills? Well, most people will buy a more economical car, possibly with a diesel engine. Though with Diesel prices much higher than petrol, you have to do significant mileage to save the additional costs of the higher purchase price and higher fuel costs.
But why spend the money on a new car, when a few changes in your driving style could easily save you a lot of money.
Firstly gears - while it may be fun to rev the car high up in the rev range, this will do the most damage to your MPG. You should aim to change up as early as possible - though not too soon as to labour your engine. While every car is different, we recommend between 2 and 3000 revs.
Shop around - petrol stations vary in price - its worth looking around for the best offer in your area, and worth forgoing those Nectar points if you can save a few pence per litre. Websites like http://www.petrolprices.com/ can help you find the cheapest fuel in your area. Never buy fuel from motorway services unless absolutely necessary .
Don't coast - while you might think sitting in neutral heading to a stop would save you fuel, it wont - actually leaving it in gear without pressing the accelerator saves more fuel than the car sitting in neutral.
Think ahead. Accelerating and braking all uses fuel - if you can plan ahead to avoid doing an excess of this, especially on motorways, this will give you great MPG. Though we strenuously suggest you do not sit in lane 2 or 3, as this is the biggest motoring crime of all! Instead, just look ahead, read the road, if you will need to pull out, check your mirrors, the traffic, and find a hole you can slide into without needing to accelerate up to speed too much.
Be gentle on the throttle, as with the gears, all the excitement comes from mashing your foot into the carpet, but this is no way to save money - experts recommend pretending there is an egg between your foot and the pedal, and not only will it increase your economy, it'll give you passengers a smoother (if slower) ride.
And finally, plan ahead. Motorways are the most economical way to travel, as you generally sit at a constant speed in top gear with low revs (again depending on your car), A and B roads typically have towns, villages, roundabouts, junctions, all which require you to slow and stop, then accelerate, all decreasing your economy - it may be more boring, and perhaps the long way round, but the motorway could save you money!
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Written by : Fidgits
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