Petrol ‘to hit £5 a gallon’ as motorists face record fuel bills at the pumps this Christmas

By
Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:48 AM on 16th November 2009

Motorists are facing record fuel bills as they fill up their cars in the run up to Christmas, a report warned today.The RAC said petrol prices are set to reach 110p per litre by the middle of next month – the equivalent of £5 a gallon.The price hike mean an increase of more than 26 per cent on last year when unleaded fuel cost 87p a litre.
Eye on the bill: Oil costs and the value of the pound have pushed up pump prices
It means that filling up an average family car will cost pounds £60.50 this December - £12.15 more than a year ago.But the UK’s 30million motorists need to brace themselves for more pump misery in the New Year as a planned 2.5 per cent VAT increase on January 1 will add a further £1.50 to the cost of a tank. The latest price rises - blamed on worldwide oil costs and the falling value of the pound - will come into force just as millions of families plan Christmas visits by car to family and friends.RAC spokesman John Franklin said: ‘The festive season is traditionally a very expensive time and this has been made worse by petrol prices rising by around 26 per cent from last year.‘With the £5 a gallon mark likely to be hit before Christmas, many families are likely to think twice about visiting family and friends.’ The price warning comes after oil giant BP revealed bumper quarterly profits of more than £3billion - a 60 per cent rise on the £1.9bn profits it made between April and June.Motoring groups have accused the oil companies of being quick to hike prices when the cost of crude oil rises and slow to lower them when it falls.Average petrol prices have already jumped from 105.1p a litre to 108.5p a litre in just a month.The last time petrol was so high the cost of crude oil was around $100 a barrel. Yet the price of crude has remained between $75 and $80 a barrel over the last month.The RAC added: ‘It’s about time oil companies became more transparent with their pricing so that motorists can clearly understand why these price rises happen - otherwise they will continue feel like an easy target that keeps the profits flowing in.’  

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Motorists slapped with 2p fuel duty increase next week as crude oil hits 10-month high

By
Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:28 AM on 25th August 2009

Ministers are set to ignore the plight of recession-hit motorists next week by slapping another 2p on the price of petrol and diesel.The 2p rise will result in every motorist spending around 29 more on fuel next year, with drivers forking out an extra 1.16 for every tank of petrol.The hike in duty comes as the RAC tipped petrol prices could hit 120p a litre by the end of the year.
Driving up fuel prices: Chancellor Alistair Darling visits a second hand car dealership on Friday
Prices on forecourts have increased by around 20p a litre since the start of 2009, adding 11 to the cost of filling up an average tank.American crude touched a 10-month high last night, rising 60 cents a barrel to $74.49.And if they continue to rise at the present rate of around 1p a week, the average cost is likely to hit 105.5p by the end of August, with 2p in fuel duty added next week.

RAC spokesman John Franklin said: ‘The September rise means fuel
duty will have increased three times in the past eight months, with
another rise to come in April next year as well as the end of the 15
per cent VAT rate at Christmas. ‘With the additional increase in December, when VAT reverts
back to 17.5 per cent, it is looking more and more likely that petrol
prices will head towards last summer’s record highs of 120p a litre.’ The RAC says the average price for a litre of unleaded is now
103.9p, but in many areas drivers are paying more. In Braintree, Essex
and Solihull, West Midlands, it costs 114.9p a litre, in Merthyr
Tydfil, South Wales, it is 112p a litre while in Carlisle it is 110.9p.
The last time crude was at $70 a barrel in June 2007, the
average price of petrol was 97p. The RAC said: ‘It does seem to be the
case that petrol prices rise quickly when oil goes up, but fall slowly
when the price of oil drops.’ Oil hit an all-time high of almost $150 a barrel in July 2008,
before plunging below $40 in December and then bouncing sharply back.

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Petrol ‘to hit £1.20 a litre by Christmas’ as crude oil costs rise

By
Ray Massey, Transport Editor
Last updated at 9:21 AM on 18th August 2009

Petrol prices are set to hit 120p a litre by the end of the year,
motorists were warned yesterday. Prices on forecourts have increased by
around 20p a litre since the start of 2009, adding 11 to the cost of
filling up an average tank.
And if they continue to rise at the present rate of around 1p a
week, the average cost is likely to hit 105.5p by the end of August,
with another 2.3p in fuel duty added from September 1.
Price hike: Forecourts countrywide are charging an extra 20p a litre since the start of 2009
The RAC said motorists could be paying 120p a litre by
Christmas. It says the latest hikes, triggered by the escalating cost
of crude oil and wholesale fuel, are expected to push prices back up to
last summer’s high when oil peaked at $147 a barrel.RAC spokesman John Franklin said: ‘The September rise means fuel duty will have increased three times in the past eight months, with another rise to come in April next year as well as the end of the 15 per cent VAT rate at Christmas.
‘With the additional increase in December, when VAT reverts back to 17.5 per cent, it is looking more and more likely that petrol prices will head towards last summer’s record highs of 120p a litre.’
The RAC says the average price for a litre of unleaded is now 103.9p, but in many areas drivers are paying more. In Braintree, Essex and Solihull, West Midlands, it costs 114.9p a litre, in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, it is 112p a litre while in Carlisle it is 110.9p.
While wholesale oil prices have continued to climb, rising to $70 a barrel last week, prices at the pumps have risen at a faster rate.
The last time crude was at $70 a barrel in June 2007, the average price of petrol was 97p. The RAC said: ‘It does seem to be the case that petrol prices rise quickly when oil goes up, but fall slowly when the price of oil drops.’
Oil hit an all-time high of almost $150 a barrel in July 2008, before plunging below $40 in December and then bouncing sharply back.

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Petrol ‘to hit £1.20 a litre by Christmas’ as crude oil costs rise

By
Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 4:03 PM on 17th August 2009

Britain’s cash-strapped motorists were warned today that sky-high petrol prices are set to hit 1.20 a litre by the end of the year.Pump prices on forecourts across the country have increased by around 20p a litre since the start of 2009, adding 11 to the cost of filling up an average tank.But if prices continue to rise at their present rate then the average cost is likely to be around 105.5p by the end of August with another 2.3p in fuel duty added from September 1.
Price hike: Forecourts countrywide are charging an extra 20p a litre since the start of 2009
Motoring organisations say that the latest hikes, triggered by the escalating cost of crude oil, are expected to return prices to last summer’s record high when oil peaked at 147 dollars a barrel.The warning is another blow to commuters, who have already been forced to tighten their belts. Millions of rail passengers were told they face a 20 per cent jump in fares next month, after First Great Western pushed up the cost of some of its cheapest tickets. The RAC says that the average price for a litre of unleaded is now 103.9p but in many parts of Britain drivers are paying a lot more. In Braintree, Essex and Solihull, West Midlands, petrol costs 114.9p a litre, while in Carlisle, Cumbria, and Truro, Cornwall, it is 110.9p. In Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, it is 112p a litre. The RAC’s John Franklin said: ‘Hard pressed motorists have seen a steady rise in the price of petrol since the start of the year which sees no sign of ending.

‘And to make things worse the Government will be adding a further 2.3p to the price when fuel duty goes up on September 1.’With the additional increase in December, when VAT reverts back to 17.5 per cent, it is looking more and more likely that petrol prices will head towards last summer’s record highs of 120p a litre.’ He added: ‘The Government really needs to take a close look at these planned increases because escalating petrol prices will hit hard-working families the most during tough economic times.’ The hikes have brought new accusations of profiteering by oil companies.While wholesale oil prices have continued to climb in recent months, rising to 70 dollars a barrel last week, prices at the pumps have risen at a much faster rate.When crude oil was at 70 dollars a barrel in June 2007, the average price of petrol was 97p - almost 7p cheaper than now.The RAC said: ‘The rising oil price is certainly a factor in this. But it does seem to be the case that petrol prices rise quickly when oil goes up but fall slowly when the price of oil drops.’

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Motorists facing £250 parking space tax under new Government scheme

By
Sophie Borland
Last updated at 2:43 PM on 31st July 2009

Commuters who drive to work face paying a new ‘parking tax‘ of up to £350 a year, Ministers announced today.They are backing a new ‘workforce parking levy’ which will come into force in Nottingham in 2012 - and is likely to be adopted across the country.The pilot scheme will see firms with more than 10 parking places for staff charged £250 a year for each, rising to £350 in two years.And employers would be free to pass on the charge to their staff - meaning it would effectively be a tax on commuters.
Penalised: Those who drive to work and park in company bays could be charged up to £250 per spaceMinisters say the money will be spent on transport improvements, but
critics say it is nothing more than a blatant way for councils to raise
money.
Some 10million Britons drive to work each day, and businesses are
likely to vociferously oppose the new charge, which could top £3billion
if rolled out nationwide.
Already some firms in Nottingham have threatened to leave the city, where some 40,000 commuters use their car to get to work.
A spokesman for the AA said the scheme was nothing more than a ‘tax
on jobs‘. ‘It is very unfair - discriminating against those employers
who have parking spaces, which gets vehicles off the street,’ he said.
‘These tariffs apply around the clock, which is especially unfair on
shift workers who rely on their cars because public transport is not
available.
‘This is more about generating a revenue scheme than reducing congestion and will require snooping to enforce it properly.’
John Franklin of the RAC said: ‘This is yet another tax on
hard-working, hard-pressed people. Improving public transport for
commuters is always welcome, but not at the expense of further taxes on
motorists.
‘It’s debatable if this sort of scheme will really improve congestion, or whether it’s just a way to cover a financial pothole.’
Transport Minister Sadiq Khan gave the plan the Whitehall seal of
approval yesterday during a visit to Nottingham. The council says the
levy will raise £100million over 10 years - one fifth of the cost of a
new tram scheme for the city.
Milton Keynes, Exeter, Cambridge and Oxford councils have already
expressed interest in joining the scheme. Birmingham, Manchester,
Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield are also interested.
The British Chambers of Commerce say it would cost £3.4billion a year if extended to every English council.
Conservative transport spokeswoman Theresa Villiers said the tax
would have a devastating impact on businesses struggling to cope with
the recession.
‘At a time when jobs are under threat and businesses are under huge
pressure, it is wrong to hit enterprise in Nottingham with a workplace
parking levy,’ she said. ‘These new charges will be a real blow to the
city and we oppose them.’
But Richard Hebditch, of the Campaign for Better Transport, said the levy would raise money to invest in better transport.
‘It has the added benefit of tackling unnecessary commuter journeys,
one of the main causes of congestion,’ he said. ‘Failing to deal with
the causes of congestion is simply not an option.
‘We put forward the idea of workplace parking levies as a fairer way
to raise money to invest in the future of local transport services. We
are pleased that the people of Nottingham will be the first to benefit.’
A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: ‘It is entirely
for local authorities to decide what measures are appropriate for
improving transport and tackling congestion in their area and
Nottingham City Council is the only authority to have submitted an
application for a workplace levy order.
‘Workplace levy schemes may only be introduced if they will
contribute to the achievement of local transport policies, with all
revenues reinvested in local transport, and must first be approved by
the Department for Transport.’

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YPN (Yahoo Publisher Network) Ads Now Available In The UK

Under the stewardship of AdShack.com, this new addition to the 1plus.net stable of websites has today announced the launch of it’s Google Adsense killer, AdShack.com; which, its said, will begin sub-syndicating Yahoo advertisements to web publishers in Europe.

Claiming to pay a higher revenue share than the 42.5% Google Adsense shares with its publishers, AdShack is releasing an ad network into Europe which, together with AdShack’s own propitiatory ad network, will backfill Yahoo Publisher Network ads into the European marketplace.

Currently, Yahoo only offers its advertiser feed direct to web publishers in the US and Canada. Today’s announcement has come as a long awaited and welcomed surprise for European webmasters.

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