Motorway Rip-off

[hawk20]

Drivers filling up at motorway service stations have been hit the hardest during the recent petrol-price hikes, it has been revealed.
Motorway prices have been, on average, nearly 10p a litre higher than supermarket forecourts located just off motorways, according to research by the RAC.
Fortunately world prices have fallen recently from around $146 per barrel to around $118. But sadly the pound has been in freefall dropping from $2.1 dollars to around $1.87 yesterday.
Cheapest fuel round here is 109.9 for unleaded and about 10% more for diesel at 120.9

 

[Dragon]

Drivers filling up at motorway service stations have been hit the hardest during the recent petrol-price hikes, it has been revealed.
Motorway prices have been, on average, nearly 10p a litre higher than supermarket forecourts located just off motorways, according to research by the RAC.
Fortunately world prices have fallen recently from around $146 per barrel to around $118. But sadly the pound has been in freefall dropping from $2.1 dollars to around $1.87 yesterday.
Cheapest fuel round here is 109.9 for unleaded and about 10% more for diesel at 120.9

That extra ends up cleaning the toilets and free parking for 2 hours, thereafter you have to pay extra for parking. They are not stupid, aren't they?

I will avoid it as much as I can and refuel at Tesco or Asda at Carlisle or Grantham and planned ahead. Carry a Tesco map with you or use your TomTom or Garmin.

 

[verytalldave]

Drivers filling up at motorway service stations have been hit the hardest during the recent petrol-price hikes, it has been revealed.
Motorway prices have been, on average, nearly 10p a litre higher than supermarket forecourts located just off motorways, according to research by the RAC..................

Hardly newsworthy. Anybody who uses motorway fuel stations for fill-ups must have company expense accounts. This is common knowledge and has been for almost generations.
Never ever used one in over 40 years of motoring.

 

[SilverSaloon]

yes i only ever use them if i really need to - otherwise i always ensure I have enough before setting off on a trip. If i do need to fill at one, i only fill as much as i need to get to where i know i can buy it cheaper. Of course, these days most of my fuel comes from elsewhere anyway!!

 

[Fandango]

Hardly newsworthy. Anybody who uses motorway fuel stations for fill-ups must have company expense accounts. This is common knowledge and has been for almost generations.
Never ever used one in over 40 years of motoring.

Well, sometimes you don't have a choice. On a long motorway journey you don't want to have to go searching for cheap petrol off route.
The lack of choice makes us easy targets.

 

[robert.saunders]

Use the POI on sat nav; it's what i do, I'd rather go a mile or two off a junction to save 10p/litre

 

[verytalldave]

Well, sometimes you don't have a choice. On a long motorway journey you don't want to have to go searching for cheap petrol off route.
The lack of choice makes us easy targets.

You do have a choice.
You fill up BEFORE you start your journey.
Theres no motorway long enough in the UK where you can empty a tank in one journey.

 

[Fandango]

You do have a choice.
You fill up BEFORE you start your journey.
Theres no motorway long enough in the UK where you can empty a tank in one journey.

I'm getting onto the M74 in Glasgow next week to drive to Switzerland.
M74, M6, M6 Toll, M6, M1, M25, M20 to the first overnight stop at the Holiday Inn Ashford. I only get about 350 miles from a tank, that about 180 miles short.

 

[verytalldave]

I am truely surprised. I would have thought you would get more from a tankfull.
However, I apologise for my error.
But personally I would still leave the motorway at some convenient point to fill up with cheaper diesel. Worth the detour surely? Most main motorway junctions have a choice of filling stations close by.

 

[st13phil]

Theres no motorway long enough in the UK where you can empty a tank in one journey.

Depends on the vehicle...

In the late 1970's a mate of mine had a 750 H2 Kawasaki and if you brimmed it at one fuel station on the M1 and caned it you couldn't reach the next before running out of fuel

 

[Ade B]

I find the sat nav takes often takes you to derelict petrol stations, or a new housing development... perhaps I should update mine more often...

Service stations have always fleeced the consumer, its a captive market. For me its down to convenience and I take the hit as it happens probably three times a year....

Ade

 

[Dragon]

British drivers pulling into motorway services for their fuel would do well to take a

paying an extra £5.26 a time................is a lot of money.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Drivers-Filling-Up-At-Motorway-Services-Are-Hit-Hardest-By-High-Petrol-Prices-Says-RAC/Article/200808215078003?lpos=Business_1&lid=ARTICLE_15078003_Drivers%2BFilling%2BUp%2BAt%2BMotorway%2BServices%2BAre%2BHit%2BHardest%2BBy%2BHigh%2BPetrol%2BPrices%252C%2BSays%2BRAC

 

[crockers]

I read that the diesel sold on the continent is not only cheaper but gives better mpg as it is not so refined as ours.......is this true??

 

[robert.saunders]

I read that the diesel sold on the continent is not only cheaper but gives better mpg as it is not so refined as ours.......is this true??

Yes, but it's a real bind crossing the channel once a week to fill up

 

[st4]

Yes, but it's a real bind crossing the channel once a week to fill up

Especially from scotland...

 

[robert.saunders]

Especially from scotland...

You can hardly moan, you have all the unrefined stuff up there on your doorstep

 

[st4]

You can hardly moan, you have all the unrefined stuff up there on your doorstep

You'd think so, but its sometimes hard to get hold of when they strike...

Its easier just to drive the 800 miles or so

 

[robert.saunders]

Pesky strikers

 

[Dieselman]

I only get about 350 miles from a tank, that about 180 miles short.

I find that hard to believe. Your car has a 75 litre tank so at say 32mpg that's err..err...527 miles.

VTD is right but once last year I had to fill on the motorway but doing something over 500 miles in one afternoon required some spirited driving and about 100 litres of juice..

Years ago I had a Volvo and filled twice in one day having already started with a full tank, both times on motorways..

 

[Dragon]

I find that hard to believe. Your car has a 75 litre tank so at say 32mpg that's err..err...527 miles.

VTD is right but once last year I had to fill on the motorway but doing something over 500 miles in one afternoon required some spirited driving and about 100 litres of juice..

Years ago I had a Volvo and filled twice in one day having already started with a full tank, both times on motorways..

470 ~ 500 mile maybe more via A14, M6 between Ips and Dundee I have to refuel either at Carlisle going north and coming south at Grantham. Don't want to take the chance to run out of petrol after a long drive. It a long walk with a can.