How high does petrol have to go before you start pooping your pants?

[Fartown]

Well, since Loubbe's comment was about Tesco, I suppose that for food supplies people could always get together and form a co-operative society which would buy food in bulk and sell it (primarily to its members) at reasonable prices. That should keep the costs down and protect people from price-gouging by big companies.

 

Any profits made could be returned to the members as 'dividends'.

 

You could even give it a catchy name ... something like 'The Co-Op'.

 

I don't much like Tesco; I don't have any shares in Tesco nor do I work for them. Companies like Tesco work to very small margins and although they make huge profits (in numbers) they also have huge running costs and large numbers of employees.

 

The price of oil is driven by demand for oil and by the strength (or otherwise) of the Pound. Demand for oil is increasing and that demand seems unlikely ot decrease anytime soon. The Pound is weak and its strength isn't likely to increase anytime soon either.

 

As for 'why should WE constantly get shafted?' I thought that was because - according to the government - we have to repay the bills run up by the last government who spent the money employing far too many people providing services they (the government) couldn't afford to pay for.

[liza D]

It doesn't really matter what price it goes up to, one will either pay it or get rid of the car, What else can you do?

 

We no longer have the right to protest in this country and you can moan to your MP for ever and a day and they will do just what they have been doing forever, sweet fa. You see it doesn't effect them so why should they give a fig how it effects you.

 

So really this poll is a fruitless exercise, I didn't vote on it because I think the price is already too high, but I pay it. I just make less journeys.

[Fartown]

Road fuel is an easy target for governments when they're trying to raise tax revenues, but from what I've read recently, our petrol prices are lower than in much of Europe. Price rises other than those caused by tax increases are outside the control of the government. The oil producers set the prices and they will presumably increase them as demand (notably by China) increases.

[I1L2T3]

Price is controlled by demand, so cut out all journeys you dont have to do. If we all did that then it would come down. So would boycotting the big oil companys on a week by week basis, Esso this week, Shell/BP next etc. When it gets too expensive we wont be able to go to work, then Cameron and Clegg will poop their pants.

 

That won't work. Oil is a commodity traded on international markets. It is used for many other things other than petrol. A few people deciding not to drive to Waitrose will make no difference at all.

[I1L2T3]

It doesn't really matter what price it goes up to, one will either pay it or get rid of the car, What else can you do?

 

What will people do? They will keep buying petrol. When it hit the apocalyptic price of £1 a litre people queued for hours to buy it. If it hits £2 they will do the same. There's an awful lot of people dependent on their cars and for a lot of them the alternatives are unthinkable, even if it is their money going up in smoke.

[lizmachin]

So how does it go?

 

Vegetables rot in the fields in the UK because farmers can't afford to pay the minimum wage or folk on benefits won't work for the extra they would get.

So we use millions of gallons of fuel flying veg from Africa, and then fly food back to Africa because they can't feed themselves.

Perhaps an appraisal of how we use fuel might cut back on its use, it's price, and global warming.

[Grandad.Malky]

There's an awful lot of people dependent on their cars and for a lot of them the alternatives are unthinkable, even if it is their money going up in smoke.

 

Or impractical, I would have to get up earlier and catch 2 buses and still would probably struggle to get to work on time and when I was doing twilight shifts it would have been a none starter unless there are buses running at 2am.

[I1L2T3]

Or impractical, I would have to get up earlier and catch 2 buses and still would probably struggle to get to work on time and when I was doing twilight shifts it would have been a none starter unless there are buses running at 2am.

 

Totally understand mate. I was thinking more of people who drive a mile to stock up on crisps, sweets, beer, pop and ready meals.

[iansheff]

Not being pedantic but should the poll not say £1.25 a litre and not 1.25p? I wouldn't mind paying 1.80p a litre.

[Agent Orange]

You lot are going to be very worried indeed. The price of fuel, in general, is only ever going to go up. The thing is, oil is pretty limited and is fast running out so therefore the price will continue to go up and up and up once supplies start to disappear. There are other reasons also, but am I worried? No. It's outside my control and there is nothing you and I can do about it.