Since Jan 2011 if the Fuel Price Escalator averaging at adding inflation plus 1p per year had been in place today, pump prices would now be over 40p higher per litre. FairFuelUK through objective campaigning and lobbying, has put £165bn back into the economy through consumer spending and business investment.
J
une 10th
2022
The Fuel Supply Chain Deception
Those opportunistic businesses in the Fuel Supply Chain must explain where the mountains
of cash fleeced from drivers are going.
The furore to the record climbing diesel and petrol prices
from millions of drivers is echoing on the Richter pain scale across the
nation. Yet the Government continues to do absolutely nothing to tackle the
crippling cost of filling up.
We have 3 action points for the Government to respond to and
must not ignore. All will have significant impact on lessening the
cost-of-living crisis.
Howard Cox, Founder of FairFuelUK and Secretary to the
FairFuel APPG said: It is time the greedy opportunistic businesses in the fuel
supply chain be policed. Wholesalers, distributors, oil companies and
refineries should be exposed as to what they have been doing with oil price
changes and the march fuel duty cut. The small independent retail forecourt
owners are suffering too. They have very restrictive fuel supply contracts from
those opportunistic businesses further up the fuel supply chain and are almost
all bound by very tight margins. In the main, retailers are being held to
ransom by these covert fuel suppliers. It is those businesses that decide what
the forecourt prices are, that is why retailers are saying it’s not their
fault."
Here are just a few examples of the obscure pump pricing
process that rankles with millions of drivers:
May 17th 2022
MP says: "Oil barons
are the new oligarchs raking in billions of excess profits"
**** Unchecked oil bosses more than
doubled forecourt profits in the last 3 years sparking calls for price
cuts by MPs.
**** Retail and wholesale
analyses by campaigners, FairFuelUK show firms make 126 per cent more on an
average tank of petrol since 2016.
Howard Cox, Founder of FairFuelUK and Secretary to the
FairFuel APPG said: “It nauseates millions, that in a time of such
financial uncertainty, rich businesses care so little for their deepening plight.
From 2020 the grasping fuel supply chain has benefited from a huge global hike
in oil prices to swell their already fat profits. Yet unjustly, even immorally,
in the same period they have also consciously doubled what they customarily take
at the pumps. Had our long called for pricing watchdog PumpWatch, been in place,
diesel and petrol prices would be at least 10p per litre less and our hard
fought 5p cut in duty may have been may have been passed onto hard pressed
motorists too.”
Robert Halfon MP and V. Chair of the FairFuel APPG said: "Oil barons are the new oligarchs raking in billions of profits and multi-millions
for salaries for oil company CEOs. Meanwhile hard-pressed motorists are being
fleeced at the pumps. Margaret Thatcher was right in the 1980s to do it. I hope
the Government considers it to address the unfairness but also to provide
millions of families with a tax cut or rebates on their energy bills.”
Craig Mackinlay MP and Chair of the FairFuel APPG said: “New data shows that oil companies & retailers are earning between 8p and
10p more per litre, or about £6 more per average tank than they were just four
years ago. I’d recommend they implement an immediate 10p per litre cut in pump
prices for both petrol and diesel which will revert forecourt profits to their
long-term average. I don’t agree with windfall taxes, but I do support fair
play. These companies are now taking consumers for a ride and must now do the
decent thing in the face off an emerging cost of living crisis.”
May 12th 2022
Windfall Tax, PumpWatch are
People's Priorities, Not Net Zero
More findings from the FairFuelUK Political Opinion Poll carried out in early May 2022.
58,000 have now completed the survey at https://s.surveyplanet.com/eisp5dk7
Here are headline findings and what respondents want from our
government.
*** Solving the Cost-of-Living
Crisis should be the topmost priority = 81.2%
*** Cut energy prices = 80.4% (‘by
removal of green taxes and VAT’)
*** Focus on the Net Zero Policies
= 9.2%
*** Implement a Windfall Tax on Oil
Companies = 75.4%
*** Introduce an independent pump
price monitoring watch dog = 78.5%
*** Cut Fuel Duty by 20p/litre =
74.6%
Howard Cox, FairFuelUK’s founder says: “At FairFuelUK we have been banging on
for months and months about the Government recognizing the cost-of-living
crisis as being their ultimate political priority to solve. And to solve it now
not wait till the Autumn Budget. So many back bench MPs I work with agree with
FairFuelUK, yet still the Treasury and Number 10 remain out of touch, lagging
behind public opinion. Our massive opinion poll clearly shows the public don’t
give two figs about Net Zero, they do worry however about heating their homes,
the cost of filling up their cars and putting food on their table. Adopting
PumpWatch, a new Windfall tax and putting the green agenda on the back burner,
will ensure the Tories restore a modicum of popularity and respect. I'm
delighetd to hear the Treasury could be moving towards taxing the greedy oil
companies with a punitive tax. But will Rishi do it now or wait till its too
late?”
May 10th 2022
Queen's Speech: "
Cut out the Green Rhetoric
and Drive up the Economy"
Howard Cox, Founder of FairFuelUK said: "The Queen's Speech was full of promise for tomorrow, but
nothing for today. Taxes must be cut now to put money into people's pockets
using an emergency Budget. The Government must bring forward the planned income
tax cut too, reduce Fuel Duty significantly, implement PumpWatch and deliver a
one off windfall tax on opportunistic oil companies, ensuring those proceeds
are used to help in the cost of living support."
"COP26 and Net Zero initiatives need to be put on the
back burner to focus on solving the cost-of-living crisis. The myopic drive to
follow fashionable green polices will not help hard pressed constituents
struggling to heat their homes, fill their cars or even put food on the
table."
In
the latest opinion survey by FairFuelUK the vast majority of the UK’s worried
core, want the Government to focus on reducing energy prices 80%, petrol and
diesel costs 67%. Just 11% of want Net Zero plans to be a priority.
May 8th 2022
Early results from FairFuelUK's Political Opinion Poll
FairFuelUK’s latest online "open to all
opinion survey" has been completed by more than 38,665 respondents in 72
hours, between 2nd and 4th May 2022.
Responses are still coming
in and will be updated accordingly. You can still take part. The survey questionnaire
itself is at https://bit.ly/3LDYyz5
Here are some initial findings from the survey:
May 5th 2022
FairFuelUK Survey Overwhelmingly Calls for Windfall Taxation
FairFuelUK’s
latest online "open to all opinion
survey" has been completed by more than 38,000 respondents in just 72
hours. The results show from nitial analyses
of 38,665 survey responses between 2nd and 4th May 2022. Responses are
still coming in and will be updated accordingly. The survey questionnaire is
at https://bit.ly/3LDYyz5
Headline results to date:
4 out of 5 of all road users
taking part in the survey want the big oil corporations to pay a
windfall tax and for the Government to introduce the independent pump
pricing watchdog, PumpWatch.
In addition, 79% have said
they have not noticed the Spring Statement Fuel Duty cut in the price of
diesel and petrol at the pumps.
May 3rd 2022
BP's oil and gas profits are a grotesque insult to those crippled by the cost of living crisis.
BP has raked in massive underlying profits over the first three months of 2022 amid soaring energy prices, with profits of £4.9bn nearly double the same period last year.
A FairFuelUK Opinion Poll, open to all, in the last 24 hours (https://bit.ly/3LDYyz5), respondents were asked: “Should Oil Corporations be subject to a Windfall Tax?” 5,098 have taken part by May 3, 6pm
**For 4119 drivers of petrol and diesel vehicles, 70.3% say YES, 10.1% say NO and 19.6% don’t know
**For 979 who mainly cycle or walk as a primary form of transport, 84.1% say YES, 5.9% say NO and 10% don’t know.
Howard Cox, Founder of the FairFuelUK Campaign said: “With pump prices 20p/litre higher than necessary, and BP today declaring soaring underlying profits, it goes against every ounce of my free-market soul to call for a windfall tax. But BP's oil and gas profits are a grotesque insult to those crippled by the cost of living crisis. Thousands of FairFuelUK supporters are struggling with the price of filling up their tanks and paying for their home energy bills. Meanwhile fuel supply chain businesses driven by such big oil corporations are wallowing in a lucky cash bonanza that will no doubt be passed onto shareholders who never have to ever worry about putting meals on their tables. Boris and Rishi must wake up to the cost of living crisis and implement an oil corporation windfall tax. Plus as a matter of urgency also introduce FairFuelUK APPG's long called for and much needed pump pricing watchdog, PumpWatch.”
April 27th 2022
Grant Shapps & Rishi Sunak Can Stop Shameful Fuel Supply Chain Profiteering & Reduce Cost of Living
Here is proof that Pump Prices are definitely 14p to 19p higher than they should be. And an extra half a billion pounds has been taken from drivers by greedy fuel supply chain businesses in just one month.
In April compared to March:
Average Oil prices fell 12% in Sterling
Average Petrol prices at the pumps increased 1.3p per litre yet wholesale prices fell 6.8p
Average Diesel prices at the pumps increased 5.7p per litre yet wholesale prices fell 7.7p
Fuel duty was cut 5p per litre in March. With VAT pump prices should be at least an an absolute minimum based on the Spring Statement fuel duty cut at least 6p lower per litre in April.
With oil and wholesale fuel prices falling and the fuel duty cut, the fuel supply chain has held back a total for petrol from drivers approximately 14p per litre in April
With oil and wholesale fuel prices falling and the fuel duty cut, the fuel supply chain has held back a total for diesel from drivers approximately 19p per litre in April
Please note, retailers are not making extra profits, it is further up the fuel supply chain where the greed is rife.
Data source FairFuelUK Supporters Panel and the RAC Foundation
Howard Cox, Founder of FairFuelUK said: "UK's shameful Fuel Supply Chain businesses must be held to scrutiny and ordered to pass on oil and wholesale price falls immediately at the pumps. Worse still, the Chancellor's Spring Statement welcome 5p fuel duty cut has not even been seen on any forecourt. The combination of failing to pass on these price drops is blatant profiteering and must be investigated by the Competition and Market Authority. Above all, the Chancellor and Transport Minister should put FairFuelUK's long time call for an independent pump pricing watchdog, PumpWatch, in place now. Each day it is delayed, keeps inflation higher than necessary, prolonging the pain for hard pressed businesses and motorists. Between March and April the greedy oil corporations and those faceless wholesalers have fleeced more than £500m out of UK's 37m drivers' pockets. It’s stomach-turning the Government allows this blatant exploitation and lack of pricing transparency, whilst they sit back in a shed load of extra VAT receipts."
April 12th 2022
Inflation hits 7%: When Will Government Wake
Up to The Chronic Profiteering in the Fuel Supply Chain's & its Impact on
the Cost of Living?
The
staggering exploitation and greediness shown by oil companies and fuel
wholesalers exceed belief. Prices at the pumps should now be 15p to 20p less,
because oil costs have collapsed by 30% in March/April stabilising at around
$100, plus the Chancellor’s welcome 6p cut in fuel taxes.
See the evidence
April 4th 2022
Prime Minister, Home and Transport Secretaries PLEASE Remove the Protesters from the Oil Depots
FairFuelUK is being bombarded with messages that garages up and down the country are short of petrol and diesel stock. All because of a few narrow minded protesters blocking our road vehicles fuel supply, behind a pointless crusade they believe will save the planet.
A message to Boris Johnson, Grant Shapps and Priti Patel, PLEASE get on top of the 'JUST STOP OIL' protest and protect the supply of petrol and diesel to our garage forecourts.
Don’t let panic buying take over again with those long unnecessary queues we saw last year when you failed to act.
Our economy and millions of daily lives depend on their vehicles. There is no need to wait until it gets too late to act. So please secure the fuel supply chain now!
Howard Cox, Founder of the FairFuelUK Campaign
April 4th 2022
Will the Unchecked Fuel Supply Chain Pass on
CEBR's Prediction of an 8p Fall in Filling Up at the Pumps?
The widely respected Economists at the
CEBR, are predicting petrol prices could fall pretty quickly in the coming
months, though not to where they were for much of 2021. If the fall in the
spot market that CEBR are predicting takes place, the price of petrol will
fall by 8p a litre.
They expect demand for oil to fall as a
result of both the direct impact of higher prices and also the impact of
weaker GDP growth. They forecast that the US State Department can pressure
Middle East producers to increase supply by around 1.5 million barrels per
day.
The CEBR believe it’s hard to see the
current price of oil being sustained for long, given all the factors at play
that should bring it down. The forward market for oil is predicting Brent
crude below $90 in 2024 against the 31 March spot price of $107.60.
Moreover, much of that fall in the cost of oil is forecast by December
2022.
Howard Cox, Founder of
FairFuelUK says “At last some light at the end of the
tunnel for motorists and hauliers. These predicted level of price falls in
diesel and petrol at the pumps by the CEBR, will make a huge difference to
drivers and the economy. Backed up by the 5p cut in duty too, an 8p decrease
will ease inflationary pressure. But before we all get excited, will CEBR’s
welcome prediction be passed on in full at the pumps, and not swallowed up in
the inevitable fuel supply chain cash grab, keeping their profits high.”
"Our long called for
new independent pump pricing watchdog, PumpWatch, is now even more crucial to the Nation’s positive
economic growth, jobs, business investment, logistics, consumer spending and
social mobility. Rishi, please put it in place to help your party's
credibility in the May local Elections."
“Diesel remains the biggest victim of
market speculation, with the gap between derv and petrol growing by the day.
Pence per litre profitability has more than doubled in March and even since
the Spring Statement, margins have risen 52%. These fuel costs are putting a
crippling strain on the commercial heartbeat of our economy.
We back the
RHA's call for an essential road users fuel duty rebate. Let's get the
economy motoring in a fair, honest and transparent way under the guise of
PumpWatch.”
April 1st 2022
The Treasury has an Economic and Moral Duty to stop profiteering and continual unchecked pump pricing.
9 Days after the Spring Statement, the historic 5p (6p with VAT) cut in Fuel Duty has still to manifest in full at ALL garage forecourts across the UK.
In the month of the Mini-Budget, March, the wholesale price of petrol increased by 4%, yet pump prices at March 30 in contrast, went up a staggering 9%. And wait for it, wholesale profit in pence per litre climbed 69%. Diesel fared worse though, with the gap against petrol in some places reaching 25p. Despite an unwelcome 8% rise in wholesale price due to the market scare that Russia supplies 20% of UK’s derv, pump prices for diesel rose 16% and profitability doubled. It should be carefully noted, the huge profits are being made by fuel wholesalers and oil companies not the small independent garage owners, who are seemingly being held to ransom by the faceless fuel supply chain businesses.
Despite wholesale falls on the day of around 4p per litre, before Rishi Sunak’s sermon at the dispatch box, pump prices increased by on average 3p on the day.
Over 300 drivers told FairFuelUK they witnessed pump prices being hiked in the 48 hours leading up to the Spring Statement. The Fuel supply chain was given more than a week’s notice that the Chancellor was to cut Fuel Duty by 5p on Wednesday 23rd March. SO, they had ample time to manipulate prices in their favour to absorb the significant Fuel Duty cut. A sickening PR misjudgment by the Treasury.
Government Continues to Ignore Rip Off Pump Prices - Time this Beleaguered Administration Acted Positively to Support UK's 37m Drivers and Reduce Inflation, the Cost of Living and incentivise the Economy
Craig Mackinlay MP, Chair of the APPG for Fair Fuel for Motorists and Hauliers“ says: This is bad for the economy, bad for inflation, bad for business and bad for jobs. That’s why we need to introduce an independent pump pricing watchdog.”
MP Robert Halfon’s Early Day Motion says “That this House recognises the significant financial impact on the motorists from retailers failing to reflect the fall in oil prices at the pump; understands that when oil prices rise companies often pass that increase on to motorists, but when they fall, the saving is not passed on; further recognises the action the Government has taken to freeze fuel duty for twelve consecutive years saving the average motorist £15 every time they fill up; notes the success of the campaign group FairFuelUK and Howard Cox in saving motorists billions of pounds; and calls upon the Government to take further steps to form a PumpWatch body to ensure fair prices at the pumps.” https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/59364
Howard Cox Founder of the FairFuelUK Campaign says: "The perennial pump pricing rip-off scandal that FairFuelUK has been campaigning against for the last decade, rears its ugly greedy face yet again. PumpWatch is now even more crucial to the Nation’s positive economic growth, jobs, business investment, logistics, consumer spending and social mobility. This beleaguered Conservative Government needs it in place now, to help regain trust again and to avoid long-term voter repercussions. It’s time for you to throw away the anti-motorist plans and recognise the common sense in giving drivers a well-deserved break. It may just be decisive in the May local elections”
March 24th 2022
A welcome Fuel Duty Cut - But make it permanent
"It would be churlish not to be thankful to the Chancellor in cutting Fuel Duty by 5p for 12 months. Well done Rishi! Our relentless campaigning has been fruitful. It will give some respite to millions of motorists, that have had and continue to have no choice but to drive. Just as important this fiscal relief to hauliers and small businesses teetering on survival, desperately need this reduction more than most road users, it’s way overdue. It will only benefit drivers and the economy if the new fuel taxation level becomes permanent and is accompanied by the introduction of an independent pump pricing watchdog, we’ve notionally called PumpWatch. Today’s fuel duty reduction must be passed onto drivers immediately. PumpWatch is the ideal vehicle to make that happen and to stop the perennial fleecing of drivers by businesses and speculators further up the fuel supply chain. Please meet with FairFuelUK, Chancellor to discuss the way forward, we want to help. Use us please." Howard Cox, Founder of the FairFuelUK Campaign
March 20th 2022
The massive extra VAT pouring into the treasury because of the record prices at the pumps is more than enough to give drivers some respite and cut Fuel Duty by at least 5p.
Possibly more! This would bring pump prices in line with the average of Europe and make businesses more competitive and viable and help reduce all our costs of living.
Ireland, Poland, Germany are cutting fuel taxes and French Supermarket chain Leclerc are to reduce diesel by up to 30p and unleaded by up to 8p.
Pump prices 12 months ago were circa £1.20/1.25 per litre and are now nearly £1.70. That's a difference of 45p/litre or nearly £25 more to fill up an average family car. The extra VAT is estimated to be, in the last 12 months on an annualised basis to be about £2.7bn. That amount could reduce fill up costs, if Rishi Sunak woke up to the pain of the eye watering fill up prices, by 6 to 8p/litre. The weekly VAT tax take on pump prices is currently compared to March 2021, £45m more and growing fast.
The exploitation of drivers is running even more rampant, with businesses shameless without any compunction using the Ukrainian Conflict to line their pockets. THIS HAS TO STOP! There has to be transparency in the way petrol and diesel prices are reached when ‘global market commodity costs and exchange rates ‘legitimately’ fluctuate.
If gas, electricity, water and telecoms get price protection bodies, why shouldn’t motorists have one too? We need ‘PumpWatch’ now, to ensure pricing fairness for both consumers and hardworking fuel retailers too. Most of the profiteering is at wholesale level not by small independent retailers, who are also victims of the greedy fuel supply chain.
It really is time, the Government must recognise that reducing the cost of living, should be their prime focus. So cutting Fuel Duty by at least 5p per litre, before pump prices become increasingly unaffordable and even more debilitating, is the morally right thing to do. Howard Cox, Founder of the FairFuelUK Campaign
APPG Chair, Craig
Mackinlay says: “The only thing that’s protecting the Government from
electoral harm on this matter is the seeming Westminster consensus and
lack of courage to stand up to the climate fanatics and say: enough!
Sooner or later the public will rebel against this madness. Better to have
the rational debate now before we fully embark on a failing and expensive experiment.”
Sir John Redwood MP said: “There is a lot
of common sense in the APPG Fair Fuel Report. Greener transport needs to work
for the people it wishes to attract as users. You cannot get to work or run the
children to school on a government target. Government needs to explain how
these changes are going to be better, popular and affordable.”
Julian Knight MP said “This policy was wrong
headed from the start, dreamt up in the kitchen diners of Notting hill, with no
understanding of real people’s daily lives. It’s clear that the switch to
electric will cause more environmental damage than running clean diesel. What’s
more who is to say electric won’t be superseded soon making this whole costly
charade a waste of time and money.”
Achievements so far
"it’s been one of the most successful lobbying campaigns in modern political history, successfully diverting billions from the treasury with barely a squeak." Gaby Hinsliff - the Guardian
Since 2010 FairFuelUK has saved drivers over £110bn in planned tax hikes in duty and VAT through constructive and objective campaigning.
Had FairFuelUK not campaigned to scrap the fuel duty escalator, fuel tax today would be 83.33p/lt rather than 57.95p/lt, 43.8% higher.
Today you'd be paying £1.70 per litre.
