The ultimate incentive worked! Now onto phase two

Poolie

Ah that might explain it. I have noticed the difference already with our car. I think it is a) because it is a new car - much cleaner and b) smaller engine. Have only had to get fuel twice this month so £60 compared to previous £80-100.

Would only have had to go once this month if OH had not needed collecting from Gatwick.

Dinah93

I used to have a 1.2 litre, but because I do long motorway miles at high revs I was absolutely thrashing the little engine, and my fuel economy was down around 32mpg, so I traded up to my 1.4 16v, and I am currently on 39.7mpg, but thats down a bit cos NIM had it at the weekend! If I swapped my car I'd have to get a diesel, just because it could cope, and be economical with the kind of milage I do. However my little Bu is going like a trouper, and I love it to drive, so provided she doesn't start dying on my I don't really need to trade her in. Short of going electric (which won't work as I can't park on the drive or garage) I'd struggle to get something more efficient for my kind of driving. NIM however could get a little economical inner-city roller skate type thing, but again, we plugged all the figures into that spreadsheet, including the new figures for depreciation and the altered milage, and we'd be mad to swap for a new one since we own both of ours outight, we'd rather put the money towards the house. Won't stop me whinging that we pay £350 a month in petrol between us mind!

Poolie

Dinah - You and NIM do cover a fair number of miles compared to us. £350 per month is certainly a lot for petrol each month. Certainly does not help with the rising oil price as well.

We had a 1.4 16v but since we don't do the miles like we used to was once reason why we changed. When we lived in Paisley and had to travel into Glasgow each day for work (via the Motorway) we needed the bigger engine. Since moving to Berkshire I travel via the back roads to work because it is quieter and means I avoid Ascot and main Windsor (do have to travel round the outskirts rather than nearer the middle).

2 more nightshift (tonight and tomorrow) and that will be them done for another 3 weeks. Not long till Paris - whooo!

Dinah93

Aye having to do so many miles is a pain, cost of petrol and the sheer amount of time it costs us too. If petrol were to go up to £1.75 a litre or higher (God forbid!) we'd be better off to either start renting in between our jobs (currently live on the other side of both of them!) or for me to jack in my job and get one on a much lesser wage just in the town 4 miles away!

Cinny91

Dinah93 wrote: »

If petrol were to go up to £1.75 a litre or higher (God forbid!)

:eek:

My Pashley would be getting some mileage in if that was the case!

My Dad has a Dodge Ram which does pretty well on Diesel, yesterday the red light came on and he could still do about 50 miles on it. It does cost him about £100 to fill up from empty, but that seems to last him weeks!

Poolie

I would need to get my bike from my parents. Don't fancy the thought of having to cycle back from work at 11pm at night or 7am after a nightshift though if petrol did go up that much.

Just check the price of oil futures (for delivery in July) has fallen back from over $70 a barrel to $66 a barrel - not much I know but a lot when converted to £

Dinah93

Hands up who thinks there will be a corresponding decrease in the price at the pumps?!

Poolie

If there is it will be by peanuts. Not much that it will affect us. Oil companies will want there profit before the person on the street sees any reduction in petrol!

I predict that i will come down by 2p per litre (before Alistair Darling taxes it again in September by another 2p)

Birdie85

Poolie wrote: »

I would need to get my bike from my parents. Don't fancy the thought of having to cycle back from work at 11pm at night or 7am after a nightshift though if petrol did go up that much.

OH bikes to and from work during the summer (when he's actually at work!) -8 miles each way- and he finishes work at 10pm, he just makes sure his lights are on and he wears a hi-vis jacket. It was great for his fitness, his legs got massive last summer! I don't think I could do it though, we did about half the journey one day for 'fun' and I was dying! I kept throwing paddies on the hills and getting off the bike and walking it up the hill!

Tete_en_l'Air

Yeah, my work is probably a bikeable distance but apart from the fact I'd be scared on the busy roads and roundabouts, I'd be a sweaty gasping mess by the time I got to work and unable to do anything for about an hour!

I'm a sweaty gasping mess today as it is!