The price of fuel

[Tony]

With the price of fuel due to increase even more (it should already be at £1.10/lt but the companies are absorbing the increase at the moment) will it make a difference to you and your ability to get out into the countryside? In many places the price of petrol has broken the £1 level and it's going to go up and up (that's what a lot of people think anyway) I think this will prevent some people from getting out, I know that for us we are having to become very conscious of the cost of fuel.

I was weighing this against the government and many other organisations that say we need to get out into the country more for the health benefits,tourism etc. Yet one does not help the other.

I don't want this to turn into a political thread, I just want to know if the rise in fuel costs will stop you getting out into the wilderness, or any place where you try to enjoy nature etc. I think I'll start a poll.

Are there other ways of getting out into the wilderness?

 

[KNC]

The rise in fuel price will definitely hamper me as I live quite far from any real woodland. But I suppose there is always public transport.

 

[British Red]

Quite the reverse for me - I'll be spending more time in the country - getting out of the country and into town (which I have to do in order to work) will cost a lot more however

Please spare a thought for country dwellers (especialy the elderly and poor) who have no alternative but to drive

Red

 

[Tony]

I hear ya Red, that's where we are, although not old We live in the country and we've just taken a car off the road but we had to keep the Landy on the road so we can get wood etc for the winter heating.

Living around here a car is a must, it's also most often (in the countryside generally) more expensive than in the towns etc

 

[Osprey]

I agree with BR, as I live in the countryside. The price hike has already affected my travelling habits. I have put my ageing Subaru into semi-retirement as I can not afford the weekly fuel bills, but will use it occasionally to keep it running or if I need off-road use. I replaced it with a very economical Astra diesel estate, which seems to give around 47-50 mpg for daily use and around 65mpg on the motorway ! If we have another snowless winter I will probably sell the Subaru in the spring.
Doug.

 

[dave k]

It will take more than an hour and a half to travel the 18 miles from me to the new forest. I think I'll be taking the 20 minute car instead

 

[Karl5]

I'm within easy walking distance from a forest.
If that hadn't been the case, I could still easily take public transport to almost anyplace here in Switzerland. Train, bus and cable car (oh yes, that's sometimes definitely a welcome form of transport) will take me to almost any starting point that I could want here.

If I want to go outside of Switzerland it's a different story, but not so different that it will stop me from going or make me go less.

/ Karl

 

[Soloman]

As fuel gets more expensive i expect it will go back to 40's and 50's where only the wealthy will drive.
Im lucky in that both my wife and i have good jobs and can afford to take an increase (to a point)in fuel price's but ill bet alot cant.
We will all have to be alot more selective about trips and car share more i suppose.
But ill still be going out.

 

[Wayland]

It's my business it's crucifying.

I need to get myself and a van full of kit to a different school each day.

I keep getting told I have a heavy carbon footprint but it's smaller than every school putting their kids on a coach and taking them on an outing, which is what most schools would do if they couldn't get me in for a visit.

Folk tell me that fuel tax and road tax hikes are going to make us all greener but I'd love someone to tell me how I am supposed to make my business any greener than getting 6000 kids a year out of coaches.

 

[John Fenna]

Living on top of a hill in the countryside means that if I want to cut down on the vans use to get to town I will get fitter as well.
I just had my medical and things look ok - but with the nights drawing in safety might become an issue......

 

[Arth]

Might be worth looking at biofuel.
Hopefully the goverment will start to cut tax on fuel but I think I'm wishfull thinking.

 

[Timinwales]

If push comes to shove I'm thinking going to work might prove too expensive as commuting accounts for about 10% of my net pay as it is, add to that road tax insurance et al. Sadly public transport to start work for 8am is'nt an option as I leave the house at 06.30 as it is to gaurentee a brew before starting, and it's not like I hang about or stop off en route. If i could get away without a car I would but on my wages there is no way I could even look at buying a half way reasonable house in a half way reasonable area nearer to work.
Luckily I can walk out the door and be in the hills within 20 mins woods in about 90mins.

Cheers Tim

 

[Dougster]

Might be worth looking at biofuel.
Hopefully the goverment will start to cut tax on fuel but I think I'm wishfull thinking.

Sadly the opposite is true. When I filled my car with biodiesel in Aug it was 72p per litre, last Friday it was 85. 45 of that is still tax and methanol costs have sky rocketed apparently.

I wouldn't mind if public transport was half good.

 

[spamel]

I was amazed when I was in Oman and we had to fuel the Land Rovers up. Petrol was the equivalent of 10p a litre! We are getting royally ripped off here, if everybody stopped driving and smoking tomorrow, the coffers would be empty in no time.

Also, how much is it costing the petrol stations to get their illuminated pricing boards modified to go over 99.9p?

 

[Deleted dude 7861]

I have a fully expensed company car but pay heavy tax, it hasn't affected me yet but already companies are looking at how much private mileage is being done by employees to cut costs so I rekon my days of running to Scotland for 'almost' free are well and truly numbered. Just stunned really, it's now £1.08 here in some places I certainly can't afford to run my old car very much these days.

 

[peds8045]

I find that the price of fuel does not limit my trips to meets etc. however I will only go on meets where i can spend at least two nights out. In this way i can justify (to myself) the typical 30 to 50 pounds fuel bill for the return journey.

Another thing....if the price of fuel goes up by a few pence a litre it will typically only add a couple of quid to the price of a fill up. (apologies to anyone who struggles financially and to who a couple of quid is an issue)

 

[chuckle]

As fuel gets more expensive i expect it will go back to 40's and 50's where only the wealthy will drive.


Fuel isnt expensive the governent made it so in the 80s with extortionate tax hikes,an weve been paying for it ever since.America only pay £1 per gallon so why dont we? if they had to pay what we pay im sure they would have something to say about it.

 

[spamel]

This is the reason I believe road tax should be abolished. If you have somebod commuting all over the shop and an old granny travelling into town once a week to pick up her pension and do a bit of shopping, why should they pay the same amount in road tax? Old granny is doing five miles a week, business man is doing a thousand maybe. Scrap road tax and make the price of fuel level it off. That way the government can legitimately hike the price of fuel up. At the moment, it is just an excuse to fill the coffers.

 

[Philbert]

I couldn't afford not to go out and about for the sake of my own sanity if anything.

I'm using bio-diesel now at 86p/ltr makes a difference. You couldn't keep me away from the country if you tried.

 

[Jodie]

I can't drive so fuel prices don't affect me directly, and Greenwich Park is on my
doorstep so I expect I can't really complain. It's a shame trains are so expensive
though, unless you plan well in advance, or go by coach (I'm not a fan of coaches,
I get 'seasick').