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.

@Nitgel

Perhaps they only had 10 to spend.

This

I was in the red yesterday and put £20 in. It's all I can afford at the moment. So those of us on low income who budget £10 a week don't get petrol or do we prove we're in the red?

@MolyHolyGuacamole

Are you REALLY this out of touch? Omg the privilege that is sometimes displayed on MN is astounding. You really need to get outside of your bubble, maybe volunteer or something, experience lives outside of the one you live. I have NEVER filled my tank full, I cannot afford it. It's never even half a tank.

I already volunteer actually, 4 hours a week for the last 6 years.

There we go with the assumptions again....

But anyway, it appears that for whatever reasons there is no appetite for a minimum spend which would be hard to police and difficult for people on a very low budget. And I had forgotten that things like lawnmowers and hedge trimmers still run on petrol, from a can.

@Palavah

*We all make choices though don't we?

How I choose to spend my money is none of anyone else's business, just as how they choose to spend theirs is none of mine.*

Says the woman who started a thread suggesting limiting people's choices about how they spend their money.

This. Oh the irony.

They could’ve been hire cars. Where you need to top it up before returning it.

How privileged you must be. Some people can only afford to put £10 or less in because, you know, they’re poor.

But if everyone was buying as they have always bought, there wouldn't be the queues we've all experienced in the last three days, would there?

There isn’t a petrol shortage there’s a delivery shortage

Of coarse there would be queues!

You spending a full tank and judging those who put in small regular amounts? Who’s the selfish one?

Oh to live in your world where people don’t struggle to put £10 in their car to last them as it’s all they have. How privileged.

I have a courtesy car that's going back Friday, I'm not filling that to the brim, but need to return it with the same quarter tank it came with

I'd like to think that people are buying smaller amounts to ensure there's enough to go 'round. I wouldn't dream of actually filling up right now.
And on a vehicle maintenance note, you really shouldn't be letting your tank run so low that the fuel light comes on. That's not a friendly reminder to top up, it is a warning light, and it's no good for your engine if your tank runs to almost empty on a regular basis.

Yanbu.
I have 40 miles left in my car.

@KingsleyShacklebolt

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.

Banning cans is another good idea but I don't see how it would work in practice - I fill my car at a supermarket where all the pumps are automatic, no staff in attendance. The pump won't know if you're filling a can, or another small container like a moped. We have never had jerry cans in the house/garage, seems like a bit of a fire risk to me.

What’s it got to do with you why they’re putting £7.50 in?

Just worry about yourself and leave everyone else to live their lives the best way they can. Your life will probably feel better and other people can just do what they need to do.

No need for that here.

Pumps are dry and stations closed.

Problem solved.

How I choose to spend my money is none of anyone else's business, just as how they choose to spend theirs is none of mine.

And yet you started a thread that is about how people spend their money.

Ironic you're judging others being selfish when you drive a big mum bus. If ever there was an example of people taking more resources than they need (I mean generally from the planet) it's those driving round in massive cars.

@KingsleyShacklebolt

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.

Have a google on salaries across the UK and then come back, you are absolutely ignorant. I worked as a teaching assistant, we were all ok £15k a year, and that was the high end because it was London. These people are filling their cars every week. I now earn double, live on my own with no extra mouths to feed and cannot afford to fill up.

Think about how many schools there are in the UK and how many teaching assistants that makes. And that's just ONE example.

I'm actually embarrassed for you

@HeartZone

They could’ve been hire cars. Where you need to top it up before returning it.

Yup that's definitely it. In a suburban area, the dozens of people queuing at a petrol station are all filling up hire cars.

It's panic buying. Not hire-car filling.

Wow some people really are out of touch. V likely they only had ten quid to spend. Hadn't even occurred to the OP, amazing.

I’m a professional gardener. I use Jerry cans to fuel my lawnmower.

Some people use Jerry cans to fuel thier boats.

Lots of people use Jerry cans to fuel home mowers.

Some people can only afford £10 petrol because they are living hand to mouth.

No people clearly weren't all buying as they normally do but that's because they had been told if they didn't go now there would be none left. And if you actually need petrol what other options do you have? Risk it and hope it's bullshit? Meanwhile you see queues at the petrol stations and panic. This is a media problem not a consumer one.

One good thing has come of this situation - hopefully people will start realising the value of hybrid and electric cars.
I do understand that persons who need fuel for work are topping up. Carers etc should have priority slots.

@toomuchlaundry

They should stop people filling up jerry cans to start with

Self employed gardeners with petrol driven mowers/trimmers etc need jerry cans of petrol.

You're just making assumptions. Just as others here have assumed that you didn't actually need to fill up your vehicle to the top. Others have assumed that you don't even need to have such a big vehicle to begin with.

Instead of assuming, they need to just either let people get on with it and trust they will do as asked, or very closely monitor what every person does. I don't really like the latter option.

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.

I'm not on the breadline and I can't afford more, HTH. The works isn't divided into people who are well off and those who are destitute.

Another vote here for banning the Jerry cans. I saw a photo on Facebook of a man filling up rows and rows of Jerry cans in his boot. The level of greed being demonstrated on the forecourts at the moment is sickening.