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Petrol Pricing - What can we do about it? |
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 13 September 2005 |
Petrol Pricing - What can we do about it?
Australia is a large country and the Australian population is a very mobile population.
Many of the products that are used in every day situations are made from oil-based products or require oil-based products to be used in large quantities in their manufacture. All goods throughout Australia have to be transported to their end user so again fuel adds to the price of those goods. In other words the people of Australia are held to ransom by the price of fuel. The price of fuel is dictated by several factors, the miners, the manufacturers, the refiners, governments and the retailers.
Of all of the levels the retailers are the hardest done by but are the first abused by fuel users. This is because the resellers are the level on face-to-face terms with the end user.
The fuel end user usually thinks that there is nothing they can do to reduce the effects of the cost of fuel on the family budget. As an individual this may be so. As a nation if we as individuals stand together then we can do our bit to help ourselves.
Firstly we need to review the amount of fuel we need to use. Even saving just a few kilometres a day driving the car would make a difference. How? Catch public transport - shop locally - share travelling with friends and neighbours. Change driving habits so that the car is travelling in the most economical mode - this may also provide other savings such as speeding tickets. Some of these hints can be obtained from the R.A.C.Q. web site for those on the internet.
Fuel companies believe that they do not need to justify pricing. This comes from the C.E.O. of Caltex fuels, the largest refiner of fuel in Australia. In other words the fuel industry is thumbing its nose at the Australian motorist.
What can the motorist do? Let your local federal member know that the Federal Government takes the largest piece of the fuel price pie. Keep hounding those members about the fuel price.
Do not purchase fuel on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays unless in a dire emergency. Make sure you have sufficient fuel to get through from Thursday to Monday. Have you ever noticed how the price of fuel goes up on Thursday nights and drops again on Mondays. Every few cents a litre makes a difference.
Do not purchase fuel from B.P. ever. B.P. being the largest fuel refiner & supplier in Australia has a major say in the pricing of fuel coming out of refineries. Not only that, if one specific company starts to feel the loss of business that company would become more price orientated in an effort to regain a share of the fuel market. This in turn would cause the other companies to be price competitive with B.P. thus the fuel price from all refiners would drop.
Do not take the high fuel prices out on the local reseller as that small business has no more control over fuel pricing than you and I. They also are at the mercy of their supplier.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 31 August 2006 )
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