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.

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.

Not sure if you actually don't understand this or you're playing devil's advocate. Of course not everybody is on the breadline and some people are topping up small amounts for no reason. But it would be very wrong to bring in a blanket rule that would disadvantage people who genuinely cannot afford to top up the minimum amount, even if it also stops the ones who are doing it when they don't need to. It's not a fair solution.

@itsgettingwierd

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

Perhaps a card if some sort?

It's called a credit card and as long as you can prove where you live and who you are, and haven't messed up with one in the last 6 years you can have one and it makes all the whataboutery about 'maybe they can't afford to buy more than £4.70 of petrol so have to use most of it driving to and from the petrol station twice a week' go away.

You can happily buy your £30 of fuel knowing that the money won't actually leave your bank account for another month, so after payday. Just set up a direct debit for the full amount and it's completely free to do, you might even make a little cashback if you get the right card.

If you can get a credit card. After my divorce I couldn’t get one as I had no income and even when I got my job it was so low paid and I relied on benefits.

@KingsleyShacklebolt you didn't think this through though.
I wouldn't queue just to put £10 of fuel in my car unless I couldn't afford any more than that.
And no, you don't 'need' your mum bus, it's a choice.

A minimum spend is a good ideas!

@Sunshinealligator

I'd agree, but this would impact the less wealthy, who tend to be lower paid key workers, for example, carers.

Thr only other time I remember queues at petrol stations was when I must have been 9 or 10 (1999/2000 ish?)
I remember my step dad who used to buy £5-10 of fuel at a time, waiting in a petrol queue for ages to fill up with that amount.

I don't ever remember my mum putting in more than £10 or so at a time because of finances.

If that were a rule at this time, people in a hard up situation would lose out entirely.

I'd be shocked if it were the norm for everyone to fill their tanks to the brim each time they fill up.

The drivers strike in 2012 is the last I recall like this. Stations closed, frantic texts with X has a delivery, go! We lived rurally and feared the fumes wouldn’t get us to the local station

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, exactly, that’s why a minimum spend won’t work and would be unfair.
I share your frustration though OP as I do think it’s the many many people ‘just topping up’ who are causing these issues, not the probably quite small number of people filling up Jerry cans.

It was the same with the panic buying last year. Social media was full of photos of people leaving shops with trolleys full of hundreds of loo rolls. The photos spread because they cause outrage but the small number of people buying excessively weren’t actually the main cause of the problem, it was the huge numbers of people just buying a little more than they usually would. But they don’t consider themselves ‘panic buyers’ and so can’t see the cumulative impact of their actions.

@DaisyDozyDee

At the moment, surely the priority is to limit your fuel use where possible and buy only what you absolutely need. Filling your tank just because it’s empty seems like a pretty selfish move. If everyone does that then in an hour or two, the petrol stations will be closed again or limited to emergency service vehicles only.

Well no, we're being told to buy fuel as we always buy fuel. My regular pattern of buying is to fill up to the top when it's in the red and the light comes on.

As an aside but relevant it’s not great to run on when it’s on red - it damages some parts in your car.
It’s best to top up.
Yes some people can only afford to put in £10.
I filled up - needed petrol for work -
We do have a herd mentality too.

People just need to stop panicking and only take what they need. I use £10 a week of petrol, my husbsnd uses £50 a week of petrol.

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

Google tells me that a Smart for four has at least a 28 litre tank, which costs a minimum of around £35 to fill from empty, so once the light is on, is likely that you can get £30 in.

I have a very small car with a 35 litre tank and it cost nearly £50 to fill the other day, so the number of cars that you can't get £30 in when the light is on or nearly on is probably incredibly small.

Obviously motorbikes are a separate issue, but there's probably a minority of these compared to cars, so just exempt them from the £30 minimum.

@user1471542288

A minimum spend is a good ideas!

What about bikes and cars with smaller tanks?

When I had a motorbike the tank capacity was 12l, many hold a lot less.

Why do you want people with small tank vehicles to be banned from buying fuel?

YABU purely because lots of people haven’t got £50/60/70 for petrol all at once.

Definitely need to stop the selfish idiots filling up Jerry cans as if their need for petrol is so much more important than anyone else.

@HungryHippo11

When I was a student, I could only afford to put £10 in my car at a time as I was paid weekly and had little to spare. I needed the car to get to uni and work. If I had to spend £30, I would have to miss uni for 3 weeks to save up enough (and probably still wouldn't be able to as I would have run out of petrol to get to work so wouldn't be paid)

This is sheer insanity

This is the reason we are in this dire situation

How on earth have we sleep walked into a culture whereby it is acceptable for a student to set up a lifestyle whereby they have to poison the atmosphere to get to uni?

Why do people think they have the right to set up these lifestyles? Why would a STUDENT not choose to set themselves up so they can walk to uni and work? why would you make choices that mean you have to poison the world forever to live your life?

This entitlement is beyond insane - you know we are going to kill off our life support systems, dont you?

I get it that there are places and jobs and circumstances where cars are genuinely needed, but not in student life,. Feeling entitled to set yourself up like this is a symptom of a whole culture that has gone very very very wrong.

We have got to change the mindset that says this is ok, because it isnt.

When I drive down to see my family, a full tank will get me there and back…just. So if I’m planning a trip to see them, I’ll fill up even if it’s a tenner as that is the difference between getting there and back and running out of petrol with a few miles left.

My Dh needs to fill Jerry cans for his agricultural machines, hes really hoping it all dies down over the next few days cos he'll need to fill his cans at some point this week and hes worried about the backlash

Yabu

I put £8 odd I my car on Friday because it’s what was in my bank account.

Thank goodness you’re not in charge OP..

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.

No, we're saying you can't make a rule that stops poorer people (and those with smaller tanks) from getting fuel.

@toomuchlaundry

They should stop people filling up jerry cans to start with

People are actually running out. How do you propose they move their cars if they can't get a canful?

What a good idea.

Those care workers down to their last few quid don't need a £10 worth of fuel to go care for people elderly relatives, fuck em.

See how easily I managed to invent a scenario of a person with little money that might need a bit of fuel?
Thinking of others is pretty easy, you should try it OP.

Well no, we're being told to buy fuel as we always buy fuel. My regular pattern of buying is to fill up to the top when it's in the red and the light comes on.

And some people's "regular pattern of buying" is to fill up small amounts because it's either all they can afford or it's how they choose to do it, but you want to slap a ban on that. Such a hypocrite.

Why would a STUDENT not choose to set themselves up so they can walk to uni and work?

Living at home with parents

Have a job they need to get to and not fart around with buses for an extra hour

Ditto children

Late in life student. Not going to move out of a rural area for two years, especially when nowadays a degree is so guarantee of anything.

There is entitlement on this thread. It's yours.

I agree people need to drive less. However you are making a lot of assumptions here some students eg nursing/medical/people on placements will be placed a distance away from where they live- you don't get a choice over that. Often working shifts so impossible to use public transport.

Even if I absolutely brim my bike full I can't spend more than £15 and that's with buying the more expensive fuel.

Bike is my only transport and I live rurally, 3 miles from the nearest shop/bus stop, 8 miles from work/the nearest town.

Minimum spends would completely cut me off and I'd be unable to work or get anywhere so, no, no thank you to that idea 😁

People really need to get their heads around the idea that not everyone can drive or has a car.

@Footprintsonthemoon1

My Dh needs to fill Jerry cans for his agricultural machines, hes really hoping it all dies down over the next few days cos he'll need to fill his cans at some point this week and hes worried about the backlash

Hopefully OP will be there in her massive mum bus to tell him what a selfish twat he is 🙄

I really feel for your DH and others who are doing nothing wrong but are being judged and even confronted at the pumps by those with no clue. Hope it goes smoothly for him.