View Full Version : Boycotting Esso & BP to bring down petrol prices?
Got this on an e-mail. I'm not a fan of forwarding on this sort of stuff on e-mail - so thought I'd stick it up here for people to read if they want. Guess it could work if everyone did it. Though I'd miss out on my Nectar points from BP :( .
"We are hitting 95p a litre in some areas now, soon we will be faced with paying £1 a ltr.
Philip Hollsworth offered this good idea:
This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy petrol on a certain day" campaign that was going around last April or May! The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't continue to hurt ourselves by refusing to buy petrol. It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them.
Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a litre is CHEAP, we need to take aggressive action to teach them that BUYERS control the marketplace not sellers.
The only way we are going to see the price of petrol come down is if we hit someone in the pocket by not purchasing their Petrol! And we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves. Here's the idea:
For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY petrol from the two biggest oil companies (which now are one), ESSO and BP. If they are not selling any petrol, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit.
But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Esso and BP petrol buyers. It's really simple to do!! Now, don't whimp out on me at this point... keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!! I am sending this note to a lot of people.
If each of you send itto at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300)... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000)... and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers! If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted! If it goes one level further, you guessed it... .. THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!! Again, all You have to do is send this to 10 people. That's all. (and not buy at ESSO/BP)
How long would all that take? If each of us sends this email out to ten more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days!!!
I'll bet you didn't think you and I had that much potential, did you! Acting together we can make a difference. If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on. PLEASE HOLD OUT UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE 69p a LITRE RANGE
It's easy to make this happen. Just forward this email, and buy your petrol at Shell, Asda,Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons Jet etc.
i.e. boycott BP and Esso".
Hmmm.... don't know what anyone else thinks.
Ceri JC
17-08-05, 10:00 AM
Sounds like a good idea. We need to something about it. However, isn't most of the petrol cost the tax/duty on it (IE something BP/Esso cannot control)?
Carsick
17-08-05, 10:02 AM
I prefer not to buy from either of them anyway. I had reasons for doing it in the first place but being a bit absent minded I can't remember what they were. They must have been good, though.
What bollox - oil's at $66/pb - a buyers market - LMAO!
Flamin_Squirrel
17-08-05, 10:11 AM
Fuel companies make bugger all profit on forecourt fuel sales. It's the government that are responsible for these outrageous prices.
This is true. The duty on fuel is shocking and utterly outrageous. Harangue your MP and Tony Bliar, as it's not the oil companies but the government. If the US had our level of tax on fuel there would be national outrage and riots. How come we're a bunch of mugs?
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mysteryjimbo
17-08-05, 10:21 AM
They may not make much profit on the forecourt but they are still raking in billions.....
Therefore why cant they reduce the price at the pump?
Flamin_Squirrel
17-08-05, 10:28 AM
They may not make much profit on the forecourt but they are still raking in billions.....
Therefore why cant they reduce the price at the pump?
But, why would they bother at all, if they were making a loss?
And I really don't see why anyone ever has a problem with big companies making profits in the billions. It's just a return on an even more collosal investment.
Ceri JC
17-08-05, 10:31 AM
They may not make much profit on the forecourt but they are still raking in billions.....
Therefore why cant they reduce the price at the pump?
Say they made 3p per litre, that'd result in huge profits, but it'd still limit the amount they could cut prices and remain in business. The fuel companies have to pay for the fuel, transport it, etc. the government get their larger cut, for S.F.A. surely it's the government whose share of the profits should be reduced (ie significant lowering of the tax on fuel)?
mysteryjimbo
17-08-05, 10:37 AM
If its all tax then I wont be boycotting them. I have no problem in taxing people for using their cars. There are an awful lot of people using their cars for silly journeys i.e. the school run. The government is doing its best to price people out of making un-necessary journeys.
Huge cars with single people in get my goat.
The current system is admittedly flawed, but ideas are floating around to improve it.
Flamin_Squirrel
17-08-05, 10:41 AM
If its all tax then I wont be boycotting them. I have no problem in taxing people for using their cars. There are an awful lot of people using their cars for silly journeys i.e. the school run. The government is doing its best to price people out of making un-necessary journeys.
Huge cars with single people in get my goat.
The current system is admittedly flawed, but ideas are floating around to improve it.
Actualy they're just do it to make money. And I make plenty of unecessary trips on my bike, so I can't really complain about that. However, I agree with people having huge cars just for the sake of it are irritating.
They dont have to buy the fuel from anybody though, BP and esso were oil drilling companies, they saw an opportunity to have even more profits by moving to refining them, then they saw an even bigger oppotunity and moved to selling it aswell, they get the 3 stages of the sector (primary, secondary and tertiary), id say they were making plenty enough to reduce prices.
Government take about 90% i think as tax, which is even more of a rip.
Mr Toad
17-08-05, 10:44 AM
I understood the margin that the retailer (ie the garage) made on a litre of petrol was 2-3p with the oil company making about similar, the remainder going on refining costs and of course tax
When I last filled up my car in France with Diesel, I saved over £15 on a tank full - all down to the different tax levels :cry:
Whats a litre of petrol in the good old USofA - isn't it about 25p :shock:
Anyone from over that side of the pond care to enlighten us :?:
Not sure about the whole they losemoney on their forecourt sales...
The retail petrol BU may do, but as the refinery / drilling BU is minting money seems more like they simply price petrol *so* they make no money on the forecourt.
After all the reason petrol has risen 50% in less than 2 years (at least is has in Holland) is due to the rise in crude - they have to pass the price rise to the consumer. That I can see. But then the same company releasing record profits, even after they have had to take a huge hit on profit by devalueing the company due to smaller than expected reserves, and say it's due the high price of oil. I smell a redent somewhere.
Of course I could be totally wrong...
As for tax, yes it is to high - but don't forget that it's been frozen throughout most of the recent price increments.
Stu
I prefer not to buy from either of them anyway. I had reasons for doing it in the first place but being a bit absent minded I can't remember what they were. They must have been good, though.
Wouldn't it have to do with climate change? there was a boycott esso campaign gping on after the US pulle dout of Kyoto. I haven't set foot in an Esso petrol station for about 3 yrs now and am proud of that!
Do understand that the government takes 75% tax on every litre of fuel you buy. That's on top of what you pay on income tax and then of course there's the VAT on fuel as well :evil: .
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Like everyone else, I object to all this tax on fuel.
But we mustn't complain, it's for schools and hospitals after all :roll:
Unfortunately I don't think a few people boycotting a couple of companies (by buying petrol from the other companies) is going to rock the international price of oil.
$66/barrel is unheard of, and is due to the growth of industries in the east, pushing demand sky high.
In many ways, the rise in oil costs over the past 12 months is tiny. The reason why Petrol is so high, is because of the Duty and VAT multipliers that are applied to it. The oil companies make very little per litre of fuel, not so much that you'd really feel it (<2p/litre).
If you want the petrol costs to come down, then there are two ways to go about it that I can see:
1) Lobby the Chinese Government to stop developing their industrial economy.
2) Lobby the UK Government to rethink the Duty/VAT situation on fossil fuels.
Or... buy a diesel and put sunflower oil in your tank.
Or... buy a diesel and put sunflower oil in your tank.
Then remember to fill out your fuel duty form and pay the goverment the other 25 pence per litre direct, lest you get caught with one of there mobile checking thingies and do you for tax avoidance... Or is that only when you start to use addatives to make it thinner for your car :)
I don't see why we don't have more bio fuels available. From what I understand there is a bio fuel alternatie to petrol (some kind of alcohol isn't it?). If it's renewable, and less damaging to the environment why isn't it available as it is in brazil / mexico?
Diveboy
17-08-05, 12:16 PM
I think you add 1 part of Kerosene to the Oil for it to work in Diesel engines. So you have to pay tax as its fuel. Sounds like something they made up on the spot.
As for petrol tax imagine if everyone in the UK said Stuff it I'm not paying that much tax and stayed at home they would have no choice but to lower it as with council tax (but thas another rant).
"Say no to Petrol TAX" :twisted:
What billy said. Its all down to the chinese and thier growth, this is pushing oil prices through the roof. This only makes more money for the UK government.
What i would like to see is some form of level playig field. For instance. Around where i live i have 5 petrol stations
Bp - 91.9ppL & 90.9ppL
Shell - 89.9ppL
Total - 90.9ppl
Esso - 89.9ppL
Sainsburys - 88.7ppL
So thats a difference of around 12 pence per gallon, why the difference especailly when you have 2 garages the same?
Also the government pulled a blinder some years ago. Lets sell petrol in litres. Ok, no problem. But, they used to increase petrol by 3-4p per Gallon, now its per litre. So a 4ppL rise equates to approx 18p per gallon.
In the US, one state raised its fuel price to above a dollar a gallon, and there was an out cry!! I believe it to be above a dollar a gallon in some states, New york being one of them, but for most its around 90-95c per us gallon (3.8L!)
Also what we have to remember, is that the US is a lage oil producing country, sitting on thier own reserves due to thier consitution, so they are also insrumental in inflating oil prices.
surely it's the government whose share of the profits should be reduced (ie significant lowering of the tax on fuel)?
But you'd only end up paying it elsewhere!
Mariner
17-08-05, 02:45 PM
What i would like to see is some form of level playig field. For instance. Around where i live i have 5 petrol stations
Bp - 91.9ppL & 90.9ppL
Shell - 89.9ppL
Total - 90.9ppl
Esso - 89.9ppL
Sainsburys - 88.7ppL
So thats a difference of around 12 pence per gallon, why the difference especailly when you have 2 garages the same?
The big oil companies sell through franchise stations, the owner of the franchise is probably sticking a few pence a litre to cover his costs.
The likes of BP make the 6Billion a year selling the crude oil to other producing companies, they make a fat profit getting the stuff out of the ground. Oil prices are very unlikely to drop back to $20 a barrel, the world wide demand is just too great. The clever nations like the US can afford to buy other countries oil and hoard their own knowing that in 15 years time the price will be ten-fold. Enjoy our hydro-carbons while we can, our grand children won't have the luxury! :cry:
And don't forget there is still a 2 pence a litre tax increase pending from the last budget! :cry:
Also the government pulled a blinder some years ago. Lets sell petrol in litres. Ok, no problem. But, they used to increase petrol by 3-4p per Gallon, now its per litre. So a 4ppL rise equates to approx 18p per gallon.
Same with decimalisation and indeed the introduction of the Euro in the rest of Europe. These changes are made more or less slight of hand and the government is happy to be part of the whole crafty scam.
In the US, one state raised its fuel price to above a dollar a gallon, and there was an out cry!!
As I said earlier, we're a bunch of mugs :( . Two world wars have deleted the gene pool of that old British spririt leaving us with spineless self-serving politicians that we're tacitly happy to accept. Which is why as a nation it's almost inevitable that it's downhill from here on, possibly reaching the sorry state of a third world country in thirty years time.
Okay, rant over :lol:
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I think all gas prices in the US must be way above the $1/Gal mark. They were just under in November 2001 when I was there last, and theat was the lowest in quite some time! I'm guessing they're about $1.50 at the moment.
The US does have large oil reserves, but imports most of it's needs. It's own oil reserves will last the country about 20 years when they tap into them - after using everyone elses.
Some more facts/corrections of figures:
1. A gallon of gas/petrol in the US is about $2.50. This equates to 36.7p per litre (3.785l in a US gallon, £1 = $1.80)
2. The current prince of a brent crude is around $66, to reach the same price as the oil crisis of the 1970s it would have to reach $75 mark
3. There are 42 US gallons in a barrel of oil, 19.5 of which can be distilled into petrol/gas (this is a very dodgy assumption, differnt types of barrels of oil WILL yield different amounts of petrol/gas). Which at current prices, minus distillation & transport costs, will be a cost of $0.42 or 23p a litre
4. UK Fuel duty is at 47.1p at litre, Fuel has also VAT added to it at the pump.
You may continue ranting...
What i would like to see is some form of level playig field. For instance. Around where i live i have 5 petrol stations
Bp - 91.9ppL & 90.9ppL
Shell - 89.9ppL
Total - 90.9ppl
Esso - 89.9ppL
Sainsburys - 88.7ppL
So thats a difference of around 12 pence per gallon, why the difference especailly when you have 2 garages the same?
The big oil companies sell through franchise stations, the owner of the franchise is probably sticking a few pence a litre to cover his costs.
Sainsbos at Telford is ALWAYS a few pence cheaper than Sainsbos in Shrewsbury. I challenged them on this and they said it was because of 'regional variations'. I told them that there was no way that this was a cause, rather it's an effect, and even so as the PFSs are only 13 miles apart it's not going to make any difference, and also that if I bought a cabbage in either shop I'd expect to pay the same. They had no answer.
Muttley
17-08-05, 04:51 PM
Got this on an e-mail.
Reply and ask something original. :roll:
Every year when the prices start to go up this one does the rounds. :roll:
Vtwinlover
17-08-05, 05:37 PM
:rant:
Fuel TAX :-k
Here's an idea how about people stop voting for the f**king socialist :toss: governments in the first place. ?
The reason us folks with money to spend on petrol and motoring in general are getting fleeced at every turn is 'cos we're easy targets. They have plenty of excuses:
War
safety (The politically correct get-out clause)
I don't suppose it will be long before they introduce:
Single parent fuel tax relief
Petrol allowance for the unemployed
Government state paid motor insurance/vehicle duty etc..
The government is so cr*p at balancing the books they try to convince us that all the money they rake in is going into schools and health but bollox it does, it goes towards keeping all the lay about Scum in the mannor to which they have become acustomed to.
:rant:
The views expressed in this thread are merely ........ and do no represent the views of either SV650org or its members.
http://www.webtv4kids.com/linux-stoned.jpg
They are looking at introducing Disabled fuel tax relief. Now I have a friend who's badly disabled and I have to help him with his wheelchair, getting him in and out, when I take him out places. He gets disabled benefit, help with this, help with that. Yes sure he's got it tough (no longer being able to lead a normal life because of MS) but why should he get more benefits than anyone else that's unemplyed etc?
And get this, the proposed tax relief will be the same for someone who's disabled that's earning 100k a year (yes I know there aren't many but you get my point).
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northwind
17-08-05, 06:57 PM
This is an interesting bit of logic though- stop shopping at BP and ESSO to protest about the 1 or 2p per litre that they can really control. And instead, shop at Shell, renowned international b******s, supporter of murderous regimes, sponsor of environmental catastrophes. Go Shell!
Having said that, i nearly fell off my bike hwen I noticed half way through filling up that i was paying 99.9p per litre for BP Ultimate.
Having said that, i nearly fell off my bike hwen I noticed half way through filling up that i was paying 99.9p per litre for BP Ultimate.
Try Esso Supreme, it's just as good and only 3p per litre more expensive than ordinary unleaded.
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northwind
17-08-05, 07:35 PM
Not many Essos about here though... I can think of one though, I'll maybe give it a crack. (he said, as if he's got any chance of telling the difference...)
Do understand that the government takes 75% tax on every litre of fuel you buy. That's on top of what you pay on income tax and then of course there's the VAT on fuel as well :evil: .
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which was my argument on those who want you to pay more for using the roads more. Those who do are ALREADY paying more tax and duty than those who use the roads less.
I worked for Shell for a year and I can confirm that the govt do indeed take around 70p in every pound on duty alone, not to mention the 17.5p VAT. Leaving the company a whacking great 14.5p to cover costs, transportation, development of new fields, profit for shareholders and provide a living for the people who run the garage.
Tbh, even if they made 1p a litre profit people would still complain about the profit levels. Its purely on the grounds they sell so much volume wise that generates the level of profit.
And btw, if youre boycotting the majors, you need to boycott Tescos, Sainsburys etc. Where do you think they buy the fuel from? In fact its through deals to these companies that helps increase their profits. So in fact switching will actually help the companies involved. :?
And I wont even get into how costs are derived in part from the futures market which has the ultimate dictation over fluctuating prices than anything else... :)
halfway
19-08-05, 01:07 PM
There was a story in the paper yesterday about gas hitting $3 a gallon though that was for 91 octane, 87 is still around $2.60-2.70
Its a bit early in the day over here but if the math is right that comes out to 40-44p/liter. Everyone complains so much about prices but drive big SUVs and live 40 miles from work so they can be out in the country :roll:
One thing I've learned is that it doesn't matter how they hide it, gas tax, property tax, sales tax, income tax... one way or another the government is going to get your money.
And no Viney, though its a big place and prices have will vary by region, I haven't seen <$1 a gallon in 15+ years in the northeast
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