Fuel prices (again!)

[cromwell]

We are being ripped off. Historically crude oil has been more expensive, but petrol has not.
Around 2009-10 the price of a barrel of crude oil was more expensive than it is now. I can't remember what the price per litre was back then but it certainly wasn't £1.96!

https://www.macrotrends.net/1369/crude- ... tory-chart

[Suff]

Petrol at that time was 89.9 to 111.9. That being said, the sheet I used shows that until this latest insanity with prices, the prior average prices for the year were not far off inflation, if not a little below. Probably due to the cost of oil.

But, yes, right now we are being ripped off to de risk the fuel companies.

[Workingman]

Don't forget that we buy oil in dollars.

There was a reset in 2008 where the then relative value of £ / $ was given as 100. In the 80s it was at about 140, today it is about 95. Remember those were relative values not exchange rates.

That is why most of the *cash* price at the pumps is not comparable to yesteryear.

[Suff]

True, I worked in Germany in the 80's when, under Maggie, we hit $2.5 and DM5.4.

Today the DM locking rate to the Euro is 1.9 and the £ is at around €1.16 Were it back at $1.5 and €1.3 which it was in 2016 before the Brexit referendum fuel would be a bit cheaper.

[Kaz]

189.3 for petrol in the BP garage in town.

[saundra]

Well it won't come down,will it ?

[Kaz]

Nope!

[TheOstrich]

Well we haven't breached 190p for unleaded yet, at either of the two town petrol stations. I think they are currently around 187.9p.

As an aside, I was working out that for the next soccer season, it would still be cheaper for me to drive everywhere than to get a Senior Railcard again and to re-start using the trains, ever if the fuel cost goes up to £2 a litre. An 80 mile round-trip would only cost me just over £18.

If Mrs O and I have a day out together, driving is a no-brainer. The railways, especially with the current strikes, are rapidly becoming irrelevant to many people in rural/semi-rural areas.

[Suff]

Diesel here is currently €2.16.

Macron got hammered in the assembly elections today and Le Pen has picked up more than 80 seats, destroying the previous record of 35.