[aviator]

I was in Newport South Wales this morning and bought petrol at Sainsburys costing £1.32. This afternoon I was in Chetenham where petrol at Sainsburys was £1.26. Now my question, how is it that supermarkets charge such varying prices. They are after all national concerns and collect fuel from various refinaries nationally, so it's not as if they have massive transport costs.
I have noticed that the same is true for Tesco aswell.

How much is fuel in your area?

N.B Fuel is available at other forecourts:d

 

[Lagdti]

I wish our local garage would employ the same chap that works on the Asda fourcourt in Bradford,last week he got the decimal point in the wrong place when changing the fuel cost and for two hours people were filling up with unleaded at 12.9p a litre!.:d

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/st...mal-Point-Error/Article/201104115964427?f=rss

 

[dave_mezza2006]

I wish our local garage would employ he same chap that works on the Asda fourcourt in Bradford,last week he got the decimal point in the wrong place when changing the fuel cost and for two hours people were filling up with unleaded at 12.9p a litre!.:d

Used to Work at dont you mean Lag ! :d

 

[gemma.windsor]

Yeah it seems fuel prices are growing crazy. But it's not just that I mean the whole industry is crazy. Just look at the BP oil spills... which leads me to my little story...the other day I went get my car fueled up... and I guess that guy working there was new and had COMPLETELY no experienced, the poor chap ended up spilling fuel all over my leather interiors....

 

[deano23285]

supermarkets usually compare their prices to those of other sellers in the local area and will then try and undercut those by a few pennys per litre.

at sainsburys we get emails telling us to check the local garages and send in their prices so that we stay compettative (and usually the cheapest too)

 

[Donald]

Hi,

I don't use supermarkets fuels only Shell and i don't normally look at the cost of fuel whats the point if you need it?you have to pay for it... simple as,ok i could drive to another local filling station thats cheaper but the fuel i would use getting there would probely out weight the saving i would make so there's no point for me?,

Remembering about this thread when i was out and about today filling my fuel can up for a track day i have tomorrow i payed £1.29 L at my local Shell filling station,

Cheers Don

 

[mrtotty]

Hi,

I don't use supermarkets fuels only Shell and i don't normally look at the cost of fuel whats the point if you need it?

With respect, filling stations know that most people do not check prices, so they will jack them up to the highest level they can get away with. If we all as motorists became a little more discerning and checked prices carefully, then filling stations would not get off so lightly and prices would come down a little.
At the end of my village is a BP station that charges 142.9p/litre for diesel, and just two km away is a Shell station that charges 138.9p. The differential can sometimes be as much as 6p/litre. The only reason the BP station gets away with this sort of blatant profiteering is because people fill up there 'because it's closer'.

 

[d'espace between my ears]

spot on mr t, the main reason why fuel prices are so high in this country is that we as motorists don't shop around and create a competitive market. hence petrol companies will continue to increase prices way above those dictated by the price of oil.

It amazes me that some people will travel several miles to a supermarket to save 2p on a can of beans but then just drive to the local filling station which is several pence per litre more than one a couple of miles away.

Yes, fuel duty is unfairly high in this country, but the profiteering of oil companies is down to us.

 

[Donald]

With respect, filling stations know that most people do not check prices, so they will jack them up to the highest level they can get away with. If we all as motorists became a little more discerning and checked prices carefully, then filling stations would not get off so lightly and prices would come down a little.
At the end of my village is a BP station that charges 142.9p/litre for diesel, and just two km away is a Shell station that charges 138.9p. The differential can sometimes be as much as 6p/litre. The only reason the BP station gets away with this sort of blatant profiteering is because people fill up there 'because it's closer'.

You see i don't have a problem with garages themselves, its the Tax on fuel where the problem of high prices comes from,the Government makes more pence per litre on tax than the oil company's themselves do, and with this so called Global Warming? Yeah Right ? and problems in the Middle East oil prices are only set to rise iam afraid,i for one iam not going to kid myself thinking that fuel prices will fall? i hope they do? but i doubt it,

As for them Country local garages with extra increased prices compared to some they have to stay competitive and be able to make a profit to make the business work or they'll cease operate,i for one would give to my local garage if i had such a garage? as they have all disappeared over the years due to the big corporate giants like supermarkets that we are so kindly feeding our money to,so i don't blame them for there high prices i would do the same if i were in the shoes.

Cheers Don

 

[VelSatisfied]

Slightly moving away from 'supermarket' filling stations, but it has to be remembered that many of the 'branded' outlets are in fact franchises.

These outlets pay a price for their fuel from their supplier which is dependent upon the volume they buy, so its not that surprising to see why certain economies of scale exist due to the bulk-buying power of a supermarket chain, versus a solitary outlet in a village somewhere near the back of beyond.

The VAT & duty is the real problem here. As Don quite rightly states, the government takes more per litre than the companies who assume the risk in finding, drilling, pumping , distributing & refining oil - how is that 'right'? What do the government expect us to think/do?

To my mind, people are more price-sensitive than ever (hence why websites such as www.petrolprices.com exist, in addition to all those comparison sites). Sadly, there always seems to be a 'good reason' (global demand, dwindling supplies, trouble in the Middle East, global warming/climate change) - insert any/all of the aforementioned; to keep increasing prices - but none to actually reduce the tax burden (which escalates the figure ever higher).

Just my POV.

Paul