e-petition to zero rate heating oil

malc_b

Boilerjuice have started an e-petition to zero rate heating oil. Last sept 2010 it was 40p/l, now it is 55p/l a whopping 38% rise which puts gas/elec rise of 18% into perspective.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/15065

pauletruth

i don't think you have a chance on that one as it something to do with the eu is near impossible to 0 rate something

G_M

Sounds like a ploy to get people using Boilerjuice, that notoriously expensive online 'group-buying discount' site!

No chance of getting zero rating. Gas n leccy isn't zero rated. Nor will oil be.

A._Badger

Indeed! It would carry more credibility if it didn't come from such a dubious source.

NeverInDebt

Is this the same company that tried to mislead customers by a fake comparison site but failed to make clear that it is run by DCC, which owns GB Oils, the UK’s largest heating oil distributor."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2035788/Families-tricked-fuel-oil-scam--Firms-rapped-bogus-price-comparison-sites.html

And why should customers who use oil get zero rating when most customers dont enjoy it with mains gas/electric

Its just a ploy

chris1973

Last sept 2010 it was 40p/l, now it is 55p/l a whopping 38% rise which puts gas/elec rise of 18% into perspective.

Heating oil is never really going to come down in price as its a close product group to Diesel, and therefore subject to the same market forces, namely the price of crude oil and the strength of the £ against the $ - which is the currency which crude oil is purchased in.

When you take off the various VAT and Duty levies for Diesel, your left with a per litre figure which is close to the per litre price of heating oil, which proves how close the link is, allowing a little for the additional costs of extra refinement and additives needed for diesel for road vehicles.

In 2010 we were paying £1.25 a litre for diesel and heating oil was 40p a litre

This year diesel is £1.40 a litre and heating oil is 55p a litre

Its all relative.

When the cost of crude oil falls, and Sterling is strong against the dollar you'll see a reduction, but until then prices will continue to rise.

bernithebiker

The link between heating oil and diesel is clear and not really relevant here.

What is being discussed here is whether heating oil merits 0 rated tax.

It will only stand a chance if it can be proven that it is an essential product for basic standards of living, like food (0%) and crash helmets (0% for safety reasons).

In a civilised 1st world country one would expect to be able to stay warm in the winter without falling into poverty.

However, I very much doubt this petition will succeed......

ilikecookies

I think we'd have a better chance of succes with a campaign to get the government to subsidize the connection of off-grid locations to the gas network.

Of the 4 million-odd homes that aren't connected I'd be willing to get there is a good percentage who live in locations like mine which wouldn't actually be that difficult to get connected (eg. where a gas connection is about a mile away). At present the utility companies however make this prohibitively expensive which seems short-sighted as within a couple of years the installation costs would be offset and they would be raking it in.

G_M

Or force the electricity companies to offer dual fuel discounts to customers who don't have the choice of getting both fuels from one supplier because they are off-grid.

malc_b

My view is that it doesn't cost anything to sign the petition; 5% off my oil bill is better than nothing; I'm not hopeful the petition will get anywhere; And I don't care who started the petition, what does that even matter.