What I wouldn't do for your Fuel Prices
By 4ftfingers
@4ftfingers (1310)
February 15, 2008 10:05am CST
Not often, but I have heard Americans complain about fuel prices. I once tried to work out how much you pay compared to us and got it completely wrong. But I think I have got it right this time, and the result are surprising.
So I found one of the highest prices I could find, which was California where according to my source, you can expect to pay $3.14 / US gallon.
This equates to £1.60 per US gallon, or as we use litres that is £0.42 per Litre!
When you consider we pay about £1.06 per litre, at most you are paying less than half of what we pay.
For you, imagine going to your petrol and the sign reads $7.87 per gallon. How would that feel.
All the time BP and Shell are rubbing salt into the wounds by breaking records for profits made by British companies. They have got us by the short and curlies, we all need it, we have no choice but to pay it. If only there were more independent petrol stations, not owned by the giants. Although, I'm sure they would go bust in a couple of weeks, or instantly get bought up by the bigger boys.
Of course it is all relative, the price of living in the UK and other European countries is generally higher than in the US, and a lot of it is to do with the tax we pay on the fuel. I think the Netherlands is the only country that pays more for fuel than us.
sources: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/gasprices/states/CA.shtml
http://www.petrolprices.com/search.html?search=leatherhead
1 person likes this
3 responses
@theprogamer (10534)
• United States
27 Mar 08
(*lovingly chuckling*)
Not the first time I've heard this claim. Completely understandable 4ft.
You actually make a good point of the independent petrol stations. In fact a few of the ones stateside were either bought up, or busted out of business.
$7.87 a gallon? I think some people stateside may quit (or really reduce) their driving and gasoline consumption, but not the majority. Fact is, the society, living spaces, communities, suburbs/non-cities are all built so the people are dependent on the car. Thinking about it, people would be livid with those kinds of prices (and thats putting it very nicely).
Prices are also up due to the recent spike (as of this response: 3.37 at the lowest, 4.12 at the highest) http://www.californiagasprices.com/
The summer blends will be more expensive too. And great thing for the citizens, they've got representatives like John Dingbat, I meant Dingell proposing a 50 cent tax per gallon (added to the 40-50 cent total taxes on a gallon of gasoline).
So maybe the US will see 5, 6, 7, or 8 dollars per gallon: either by economics or by politicians.
@jwfarrimond (4473)
•
18 Feb 08
I'm a cyclist... :-)But seriously, you are quite right to say that most of the price that we pay is due to the tax imposed by the greedy British Government. and even though it does not directly affect me, being, as I said, a cyclist, it affects everybody because of the higher costs imposed on the transport industry. Costs which are then passed on to everybody. And it's not just fuel, I just got a ticket to fly to the US which cost me nearly GB600 nearly half of that is tax!
