Price of alcohol fuel in Spain vs U.K

[James Higgins]

I've recently converted to using alcohol stoves for brew making and simple cooking. Before I moved to Spain about 4 years ago I used to use gas or hexi tabs and I was not aware of the price of meths for alcohol stoves. I am currently in the U.K for Christmas and it shocked me to see the price of meths compared to what I can get in Spain for less than 1/2 of the price!

Has meths always been this sort of price here in the U.K...? (£3.50/500ml at Wilko's)

£3.50 at todays rate equals 4.47€. In nearly every common hardware store or local chino shop (chinese owned shops selling basically everything you can imagine) you can buy 500ml of 96% ethanol based alcohol for a mere 1.80€....(£1.41)

For 1L it works out at £1.96 and you can buy it everywhere! They also sell something called "alcohol de quemar" which literally means alcohol to burn and is even cheaper, but I've found this does not burn as hot so I'm not sure what it is exactly.

Why are we paying so much in the U.K??

 

[rorymax]

Profiteering methinks.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Rip off Britain. Excuse my cynicism.

 

[British Red]

You are buying it in the wrong places in the UK. Check out 5l sizes from furniture restorers.

 

[Stevie777]

That's because TPTB think we're drinking it.

 

[Macaroon]

That's because TPTB think we're drinking it.

They know you're at it; they've been reading your posts!..................

 

[James Higgins]

Rip off Britain. Excuse my cynicism.

This seems more appropriate! It seems like Britain wears a cap saying "Charge us more, we won't complain." I initially thought there was some tax on meths but it seems it becomes exempt after the additives have been added to the ethanol.

I can understand it being a tad more expensive here but more than double is a joke. £2 for 1L in Spain!

 

[British Red]

I can understand it being a tad more expensive here but more than double is a joke. £2 for 1L in Spain!

£2.40 a litre here

http://www.restexpress.co.uk/acatal...qW5wPNlr8C8T7D4uaPdr2m-_l6ABcdYcP8aAqgM8P8HAQ

 

[Stevie777]

£2.40 a litre here

http://www.restexpress.co.uk/acatal...qW5wPNlr8C8T7D4uaPdr2m-_l6ABcdYcP8aAqgM8P8HAQ

That's for a quarter of a ltr

 

[lou1661]

That's for a quarter of a ltr

It's £2.40 per litre when you buy 5 litres

 

[Stevie777]

It's £2.40 per litre when you buy 5 litres

I'm really not that thirsty. in fact d'ya think it might get here for new year..

 

[rorymax]

It's £2.40 per litre when you buy 5 litres

Unfortunately, the delivery charge raises the actual cost even further.

rorymax

 

[British Red]

That was just one place I picked at random. There are plenty of trade places where you can get it around that price, and collect.

 

[lou1661]

Unfortunately, the delivery charge raises the actual cost even further.

rorymax

I think thet British Reds point was that it is available at reduced prices if you look around, as for delivery costs i pass Cirencester now and then so would pick it up or find a more local stockist that would supply.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bio-Ethanol-Liquid-Fuel-25L-5x5lt-Premium-Quality-Bio-Fuel-/181610240983 Bio-ethanol at 2.25/litre Delivered

 

[rorymax]

I take your point British Red, and it is valid.

Going back to the OP's point though, it does prove very expensive as a general purchase item, I think B&Q have a product for lighting chimeneas and it is sold at reduced prices from time to time, but all that shopping around for a reasonable price for a rather mundane and less than exclusive product does seem bothersome for what is an overpriced commodity retailed by many outlets.

Lets end the year with a bit of dissatisfaction on behalf of the consumer , I think James Higgins has a point, British consumers do not complain enough at being 'ripped off'.

I can buy alcoholic drinks (and they have a high taxation levy), good quality ones at that, for less than the price of meths

Could it be that my insatiable demand for high quality alcoholic drinks is what makes the end user cost so attractive, (owing to the reduced costs of mass production)

rorymax

 

[rorymax]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bio-Ethanol-Liquid-Fuel-25L-5x5lt-Premium-Quality-Bio-Fuel-/181610240983 Bio-ethanol at 2.25/litre Delivered

lou, purchasing at those volumes, your habit is greater than mine

Maybe I have not fully discovered meths

rorymax

 

[lou1661]

lou, purchasing at those volumes, your habit is greater than mine

Maybe I have not fully discovered meths

rorymax

Depends how much you use, how much storage you have and if you have any friends who also use alcohol as a cooking fuel. i prefer petrol to be honest.

 

[James Higgins]

Ok it seems that you can get the price down if you buy in bulk from the trade, but imagine how much it would be if you bought from the trade in Spain. However that's missing the point.

Purchasing 5L at a time is a big hassle compared to walking into the local hardware shop and grabbing a small bottle before going out on a short trip. Here though, because of the rip-off pricing you are forced to buy in bulk from the trade (plus postage costs)

Anyway, I suppose even at £3.50 a bottle it still works out cheaper than hexi tabs. I just bought a pack of 8 from an army surplus store for £2.75! Love hexi but it's not economical

 

[British Red]

Of course many things are more expensive in Spain (but don't let that spoil a good rant)

 

[James Higgins]

I am all ears as to these many things. Aside from consumer electronics, I do not find many more things expensive in Spain. From my experience it is exactly the opposite. The pound goes further in Spain in non-tourist environments