www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

The disparity in prices at various filling stations has become an overfocus for me even though it is my head. I avoid the supermarket fuels and generally get the A line fuel like Esso and BP. A local BP station near me is £1.479 a litre and the cheapest around Chelmsford seems to be £1.449. I was over at my sisters in Hertfordshire on Saturday and on passing I noticed a garage with petrol at £1.399 so, needing fuel, I tanked up with 40 odd litres. All the local forecourts were around this figure so it was not unique, the petrol was cheaper there. My fill up saved me over £3 in fuel simply by being in a different area. It is about time that there was some control over this.

DWD

dewaltdisney wrote: ↑Tue May 23, 2023 9:54 amIt is about time that there was some control over this.

Be careful what you wish for, you may get it.

The easiest way to align prices is to bring them UP to the same level, I don't like that idea. The "problem" with your idea is competition, if all prices were the same, there would be no competition, so more places would close as they get less custom. I remember seeing a tv programme about an independent PFS he buys fuel direct from tankers that can't sell it (Not sure how it worked)
Also there are overheads, a site in an expensive area of any town will need to bring in more money than a site in a cheaper part of town, your idea would ruin that as they would both charge the same.

Yes, I agree, I think I was thinking more along the lines of a local price check. There are apps that purport to do this but they have a cost. My feelings were that there should be a free portal for price comparison.

DWD

dewaltdisney wrote: ↑Tue May 23, 2023 10:36 am there should be a free portal for price comparison.

There is, go to petrol prices .com and download the app free.

I saw that, I did not realise it was free to use. I have downloaded it now and it is quite good for spotting tye cheapest fuel.

Thanks Wino

DWD

Took a trip recently and fuel prices for Petrol ranged from a low of £1.38 to a high of £1.80.

Surprisingly motorway service station prices seem to be getting a lot more reasonable than they used to be, I regularly saw prices just a few pence higher than I would be paying in the supermarkets. Not so long ago I would have expected them to be more like 20-30p higher.