Record-High Gasoline Further Burdens Consumers in Europe

[ALS]

At a time when household incomes are under immense pressure from wages being frozen and rising unemployment, rising fuel costs mean consumers are left with less and less money to spend on services.”

Rupert Rowling And Lananh Nguyen - BLOOMBERG - April 30, 2012

And we wonder why England has dropped into another recession --Ed.

Mumtaz Ozkaya, a leather-clothing salesman in London, is slashing his usual 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) a month of driving by 30 percent and taking cheaper vacations, as record fuel prices burden European motorists.

“Wages are still the same so I am cutting back on miles and also on holidays,” Ozkaya said in an April 23 interview at a Shell-branded service station near Old Street in the U.K. capital, where regular gasoline costs 143 pence a liter ($8.76 a gallon). “Whereas we used to go on holiday to a five-star hotel for three weeks that is now a four-star for two weeks.”

The average retail price in the European Union’s 27 member nations surged to a peak of 1.69 euros a liter ($8.44 a gallon) on April 20 with Germany, France, the U.K., Greece, Italy and Spain all at records, according to European Commission data. The cost of gasoline at the pump in the continent, more than double U.S. levels, had made a fresh high every week since Jan. 13. U.K. gasoline advanced to a new all-time high last week. ... [Read More]

[herm]

Meanwhile, Renault is selling the Zoe electric and leasing the batteries at a total cost lower than an equivalent diesel vehicle.

[thunderstruck]

Leather clothing salesman? I don't even want to know.

[50 mpg by 2012]

“Wages are still the same so I am cutting back on miles and also on holidays,” Ozkaya said in an April 23 interview at a Shell-branded service station near Old Street in the U.K. capital, where regular gasoline costs 143 pence a liter ($8.76 a gallon). “Whereas we used to go on holiday to a five-star hotel for three weeks that is now a four-star for two weeks.”

and

Americans pay less because taxes are lower, accounting for 11 percent of the retail price, compared with 60 percent in Britain, according to data from the U.S. Energy Department and the AA, a U.K. motoring organization.

from the source article

IF UK regular gasoline taxes are 60%, then USD $8.76 a gallon would appear to be $3.50 USD less taxes.

NC has been in the $3.85 range (now about $0.20 lower since the President has called for speculation/manipulation oversight) with roughly $0.45/gallon tax resulting in an untaxed value of about $3.40 ... roughly $0.10/gallon below the UK.

Does that sound about right?

[southerncannuck]

Originally Posted by thunderstruck

Leather clothing salesman? I don't even want to know.

I'm willing to listen.

[WriConsult]

I haven't been to the UK (other than Gibraltar, which is emphatically not highly car dependent) but I'm told by British ex-pats and Americans who've visited there that Britain rivals the US in terms of having created a car-dominated culture. Guess they're paying the price now.

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Originally Posted by WriConsult

I haven't been to the UK (other than Gibraltar, which is emphatically not highly car dependent) but I'm told by British ex-pats and Americans who've visited there that Britain rivals the US in terms of having created a car-dominated culture. Guess they're paying the price now.

Car-dependency has increased but it certainly doesn't rival the USA. Public-transportation is too extensive and planning is too controlled to allow them to dominate at the level in the USA.

But, as car ownership has increased both businesses and people have adjusted to assuming the use of a car.
- Businesses locate in sites away from bus routes, like business parks close to motorways
- People don't move to be closer to their work: in part this is because of a combination working couples and decreased job security.

I left the UK 4 1/2 years ago. After I got my licence* (a contractual requirement) I didn't drive for another 11 years. It was occasionally restrictive: for example, the lack of public transportation late at night prevented me from going to a couple of concerts. However, besides being cheaper than owning a car, it has its advantages: putting on make-up while you drunkenly text about the book you're reading is legal on public transportation.

* Driving Licence.

[PaleMelanesian]

Originally Posted by ItsNotAboutTheMoney

it has its advantages: putting on make-up while you drunkenly text about the book you're reading is legal on public transportation.

That's more than I needed to know about you.

[herm]

nothing wrong with a little makeup to cover up the bags below your eyes