The lies about cheaper motor fuel this week

motorguy

Strider590 wrote: »

That's what everyone thinks and that's why it never gets enough support, but the logistics f*ck up it causes, WILL cost them a fortune!

They operate a on the basis of predictable usage, a sudden dip will cause havoc.



It's like a major supermarket saying to a bakery "I want 5000 cakes a day, every single day, delivered to my store", several years go by and those 5000 cakes are there on time every single time.

Then suddenly at zero notice "we only want 500 cakes today", you've got 3 44 tonne truck loaded with cakes, no storage, your courier is !!!!ed because he's got 3 trucks out of use, it's costing money to hold them there, the product is deteriorating (and petrol does too, slowly), youve had to stop a £5000 a minute production line, you've got raw materials stocking up and your work force are sat around twiddling their thumbs.

The next few days the store says "Ok, I want 6000 a day", you've got to restart the production line, clear out the old stock and sort out the mess with the couriers. Your working to get through raw materials, but it keeps on coming at it's previous rate anyway.
It's one big SNAFU and it'll take weeks to recover!

Now in my example the supplier could charge the store for breaking contract..... BUT we don't have a contract to buy petrol do we?

The reality is, its going to be like 'I only need 4900 cakes today' compared to the overall fuel needs of the UK. Dont forget fuel at the pumps is only a percentage of overall fuel used.

Also, you're assuming that say a 20,000 gallon tank at a filling station wont be able to otherwise hold the delivery it just happened to be due that day, all because a couple of hundred people didnt fill up - or did so the previous night, or will fill up the following morning.

Also, you have to remember that a high percentage of those people who are saying they wont refuel tomorrow probably werent due to anyway and if they *have* to, then they still will.

Also, if we've known about it, then the petrol companies will, and no doubt have made 'adjustments' if they think there is any risk.

jase1

Thanks Paul, you took the words out of my mouth.

It's all about scale... 90% of people are NOT going to take part in this little dispute. If they did, your analogy would be reasonable.

Fact is, 10% is within the usual tolerance for the expected number of customers in a single day.

Gordon_Hose

I wasn't going to buy fuel tomorrow anyway, same as a few million others weren't.

A few hundred thousand people isn't going to make a difference.

jase1

What you need is a commitment to not fill up over a longer period, perhaps a week.

And get 5 million to do it.

That might hurt them.

The problem is, though, that I'm not so sure that it'd make any difference in any case. It's the duty that is the problem.

iNath

jase1 wrote: »

Fact is, 10% is within the usual tolerance for the expected number of customers in a single day.

Exactly - 30,000 not getting fuel across 8,000 stations will not make a difference. Each station is not gonna miss 3/4 customers!

thelawnet

smitchy73 wrote: »

Yeah 1p reduction in duty, I pass about 5/6 different fuel stations on the way to work and not one has dropped their price since yesterdays announcement. This 1p saving(yet to be seen anywhere)works out at a whopping 50p in an average tank saving, big !!!!!!!g deal. I just can't understand how several years ago when fuel was sitting about 80/90p a litre we were all taking to the streets and roads in protests, here we are 60 odd pence of an increase and no-one is doing anything.
For me it's still cheaper to take the car to work as well.

Well quite.

I'm going to Centerparcs tomorrow (Longleat), 2 adults + 2 kids, youngest is free on the train, total fare is £78 return, but then the train station is 3 miles from the park, so there'd be more to pay for a taxi.

OTOH, driving the petrol cost will be about £60 return (30mpg, driving enthusiastically), and door-to-door will be considerably quicker too.

We could take our bikes on the train, but there's unlikely to be a safe cycle route from the station anyway.

adamc260

Petrol dropped 1p in the budget where I live... then went up 1p about 2 days later! Big saving

You cant really slate the oil companies, what they do for approx 40-50p a litre is a lot of work.. its the government doing nothing and creaming off it that annoys me! And even with all the money they make, the country is still in an awful state and all the vehicle tax/duty we pay doesn't contribute to the terrible state of our roads! Thats the UK for you though, pay more and more.. get less and less.

Crabman

Petrol prices in our area are 6p more than a surrounding area, due to what seems to be a nice little cartel arrangement between retailers.