Rather than a maximum spend for petrol, we need a minimum

[KingsleyShacklebolt]

Lots of talk of rationing petrol to deal with the people who are panic buying.

I would suggest an alternative approach - a minimum spend. I filled my car yesterday, it's a big mum bus MPV thing so takes £60 - £70 of diesel to fill up. And before anyone asks yes I did need to fill it, it was well into the red.

But the woman in front of me and the man adjacent spent less than £10 each. So their car was clearly not empty.

So why not have a minimum spend? Say £20 or £30? It would stop people topping up every couple of days "just in case". Would stop people filling jerry cans. People aren't going to keep filling up jerry cans or topping up every day if they know that their couple of litres is going to cost £30.

@toomuchlaundry

They should stop people filling up jerry cans to start with

This ^^

I had my car before my divorce. It is old. I have a friend who mechanics for me and I only have to pay for the parts, which he gets from a scrappy where he can.

Some of the attitudes on here stink.

We’d like to fill a Jerry can for the lawnmower and hedge trimmer, but can’t/won’t attempt it any time soon for fear of the abuse we might get.

@louderthan

Millions of people in this country are living paycheque to paycheque in constant financial instability. The lack of understanding on this site never ceases to amaze me. OP do you actually need to drive a 'big mum bus'? What's wrong with a more modest little car? Couldn't you just get the actual bus? Or am I making assumptions based on nothing??

With three teenage children who are all bigger than me yes I need a decently sized car.

And no, I couldn't get the actual bus for many of the journeys I need to do. DD needs to be at her part-time job this morning at 11am. 20 minutes in the car. By bus it would take 1 hour and 25 minutes and would mean getting one bus into the city centre, changing, and another bus out again.

I had 3 teens in a tiny car. You are making a choice.

Super, bitching about those who have to watch the pennies and absolutely no awareness of the struggles others suffer. Well done OP 👍

I’m sure the majority of people who are currently filling Jerry cans are similar to people who bought many packets of toilet roll.

I can’t remember the last time I saw someone filling up a jerry can at a garage, but suddenly there are lots of people who need to do this.

I can't vote because your OP has a fundamental flaw: you assume that if someone needs fuel they will fill up. You are missing that many people put what fuel they can afford in. They may not be topping up what fuel they already have. They may be able to afford to put only £10 in. It's nearly the end of the month. Plenty of people will be waiting for pay day for starters.

Actually that's a really good idea.

For a start it would stop all the traffic being caused by people queuing for their £8 of petrol.

I've always filled full tank at payday and done a top up at the end of the month to get me through.

I've now decided after actually being almost out Friday and genuinely being worried about diesel I'm going to always top to top at half a tank.

I'd be happy with minimum spend of £30.

With three teenage children who are all bigger than me yes I need a decently sized car.

You can fit three teens in the back of most cars. I'm not sure why it means you need a big "mum bus".

@itsgettingwierd

Actually that's a really good idea.

For a start it would stop all the traffic being caused by people queuing for their £8 of petrol.

I've always filled full tank at payday and done a top up at the end of the month to get me through.

I've now decided after actually being almost out Friday and genuinely being worried about diesel I'm going to always top to top at half a tank.

I'd be happy with minimum spend of £30.

And what happens if people can't afford to spend £30?

Perhaps there could be a voucher system for those on low incomes or uni students?

Perhaps a card if some sort?

Good for you that you can afford to fill up at payday and that does you the month with a top up.

It used to cost me £50 a week in the car to get to work. Would have been £67 on public transport, and then £20 on a taxi each way to get to the train and bus station.

I was paid weekly. I filled up each Monday when my tax credits came in but somethings that wasn’t enough if I had had to do an extra journey.

@OP. Why do you need such a large vehicle and did you really need that amount of fuel?

My tank only takes £30. I'd have to fill up a Jerry can to spend £70.

Everyone just needs to get over this 'everyone else is panic buying but me, my needs are essential' martyrdom. Petrol is essential for most people. No one is going to risk their job 'for the greater good'.

The more you keep bleating about it the longer it will last.

Do something useful like write to your MP abput what they will do to prevent it next time.

@toomuchlaundry

They should stop people filling up jerry cans to start with

Unless they've run out of fuel completely and this is their only option! And there's no way to check that.

Everyone piling on to say I'm unreasonable for assuming many people are topping up with small amounts to keep their cars full and that they are doing it because they are too poor to afford a larger amount.

You are all making assumptions too. Some people might be spending a small amount because they can't afford more. Some people might be spending a small amount because they have bought into the panic and are topping up. The split between those two groups is undetermined. I would imagine that the split would be different in different areas of the country.

So if you're all saying i'm wrong for assuming everyone's car is full and they're topping up, you're equally wrong for assuming everyone's on the breadline and can't afford more. Surely.

But you’re proposing a solution that will penalise the poor.

I get that budgeting might be an issue but it's impossible to know whether people are filling up with £7.50 or whatever because that's genuinely all they can afford, or because they are just topping up.

Exactly. So it would not be right to bring in measures that would adversely affect some of the poorest people and those in very low paid jobs who are unlikely to have the option to work from home and will lose pay if they can't get to their job. Also as others have said, jerry cans are used to fill lots of other vehicles and machines. You can’t slap a ban on something that people rely on for their livelihood.

The irony of this thread coming from someone who admittedly drives a massive fuel guzzling vehicle 🙄 How do you think most people with teenagers and families get around/have got around in the past without being able to afford a huge car (or when they are more environmentally conscious)? They manage. You have one because you want one, not because you absolutely need it. So it's very hypocritical to be condemning other people's behaviour in this regard.

@itsgettingwierd

Actually that's a really good idea.

For a start it would stop all the traffic being caused by people queuing for their £8 of petrol.

I've always filled full tank at payday and done a top up at the end of the month to get me through.

I've now decided after actually being almost out Friday and genuinely being worried about diesel I'm going to always top to top at half a tank.

I'd be happy with minimum spend of £30.

We'd have to completely empty the tank - to a level where we'd risk running empty - to get £30 in!

I get that budgeting might be an issue but it's impossible to know whether people are filling up with £7.50 or whatever because that's genuinely all they can afford, or because they are just topping up.

Yes it's impossible. So you just simply don't impose it, so you don't impact the people who genuinely would be screwed over by it.

Fwiw, I am sure most petrol stations do have a minimum. Though its usually in litres not cash. There's usually a tiny sign in the pump.

Its really not hard to see why people may need to only put £10 in.

Iced when I couldn't afford £30 on petrol I didn't have a car. Because I also could t afford the mot, tax, repairs and insurance.

Cars cost around £100 a month on average over a year minimum.

I get living pay check to pay check. I've done it.

I didn't have a car because £10 a week in petrol actually was more than that in overall costs of having a car (plus the outlay of buying one) and walking, using local and a buss pass was cheaper.

@itsgettingwierd

Actually that's a really good idea.

For a start it would stop all the traffic being caused by people queuing for their £8 of petrol.

I've always filled full tank at payday and done a top up at the end of the month to get me through.

I've now decided after actually being almost out Friday and genuinely being worried about diesel I'm going to always top to top at half a tank.

I'd be happy with minimum spend of £30.

Some car tanks won’t take £30 worth, a smart for four for example, bikes also won’t take anywhere near £30. So you’re in full support of vehicles with smaller tanks being banned from refueling?

The point of having a maximum is so that more people have a chance of getting petrol, its actually better if more people full up with smaller amounts as it means more people can have some. Also supermarket pumps aren't automated, there is still someone authorising the pump to dispense, you just don't necessarily see them as its mostly cameras etc now rather than someone peering out into the forecourt. Also even though not everyone who is only filling up a bit won't have more money, it will affect some who that is the case for, fuck the poor right as you pump more pollution into the planet with the big car you obviously absolutely without question need.

@itsgettingwierd

Iced when I couldn't afford £30 on petrol I didn't have a car. Because I also could t afford the mot, tax, repairs and insurance.

Cars cost around £100 a month on average over a year minimum.

I get living pay check to pay check. I've done it.

I didn't have a car because £10 a week in petrol actually was more than that in overall costs of having a car (plus the outlay of buying one) and walking, using local and a buss pass was cheaper.

Couldn’t walk to work.

Two buses to my village a day. One that takes the kids to school and the other that brings them back. Timings didn’t work for my job.

I couldn’t even get to the station without a car.

Local is one tiny shop that is extortionately expensive and is often out of essentials (eg bread ffs).