Fuel or Fool Watch?

[Sculptured Box]

Can someone tell me why the cost of petrol isn't the same in the same geographic area?

For example, a Coles or Woolworths servo will sell for say $1.50 a litre, at the same time within 2 kilometres the same fuel provided by Coles or Woolworths will be a different price, sometimes 5 to 8 cents difference!

[mic-d]

I think there is price variation that correlates with perceived affluence of the station locality. I don't think it's the only reason though.

Cheers
Michael

[dazzler]

I also thought it had something to do with when they fill up the tanks, that is they buy at a certain amount which fluctuates over the days. Perhaps thats it

or they may just be greedy

[ss_11000]

its a conspiracy

[Sturdee]

Can someone tell me why the cost of petrol isn't the same in the same geographic area?

For example, a Coles or Woolworths servo will sell for say $1.50 a litre, at the same time within 2 kilometres the same fuel provided by Coles or Woolworths will be a different price, sometimes 5 to 8 cents difference!

That doesn't worry me as I live in an area with independants discounting and forcing the price down, but what annoys me is that petrol on Thursday is at least 10 cents dearer than on Tuesday and Wednesday.


Peter.

[damian]

I've heard a few stories over the years. From several station owners they say the fuel companies call them and tell them what to charge and give them a rebate against the fuel they sell. However this is driven also by local competition. The affluence thing doesn't hold for petrol nor groceries. Ipswich Woolworths was for many years the dearest in Brisbane and driving around town there is no good corellation between income and price. Moreover country areas usually have lower incomes yet consistently higher fuel prices, and I don't buy the transport cost argument. I think they just charge what they can get away with.

Just remember when your complaining about fuel prices the station and the refinery are both low margine businesses. The government takes a huge whack (and put bugger all back into roads) and it's the drillers who are making good $ out of the current world price.

[wheelinround]

along with the ACCC we have a fellow employed on $300k a year who sits and watches fuel prices so Australian's don't have to worry or waste time doing so.

Relax and breath easy and let this man do his job on your behalf

[Sebastiaan56]

along with the ACCC we have a fellow employed on $300k a year who sits and watches fuel prices so Australian's don't have to worry or waste time doing so.

Relax and breath easy and let this man do his job on your behalf

that gives me that comfortable warm, wet feeling......

ACCC is a bit of an oxymoron in a free market society..... what you mean free markets dont work as companies abuse their power!!...... but thats heresy mannn.

[artme]

I'd say it's a fool wtch scheme. We all sit and watch the fools fom the Canberra gasometre blab on aboutwhy nothing can be done.

[fxst]

Why all the whining?? The election is over and people got what they wanted..... A change
They didn't specify that they actually wanted a PM that makes decisions and to stay here to do that.
Pete

[Sebastiaan56]

Why all the whining?? The election is over and people got what they wanted..... A change
They didn't specify that they actually wanted a PM that makes decisions and to stay here to do that.
Pete

Well I whinged about the last lot as well...... In the end you get a politican despite the promises and jingles. I reserve the right to whinge about politicians.

[Rattrap]

I think its 1 of those good ideas in theory but in practice it does nothing much but help employ a public servent. Its the same old problem as banking & supermarkets, how does a govt force greedy powerful multinationals to be honest?

[damian]

I think its 1 of those good ideas in theory but in practice it does nothing much but help employ a public servent. Its the same old problem as banking & supermarkets, how does a govt force greedy powerful multinationals to be honest?

First let me say I didn't vote for the new ones nor the old. I always vote for independants after assessing which best alignes with my views.

Now:

Australia is a net energy exporter, and we drill enough oil to satisfy domestic demand, particularly for light products like petrol. In the 70's we had an insular controlled economy. We had tarriffs and government control. As a result we had a very high standard of living and possibly the most egalitarian society in the west. We also had a manufacturing sector. The Hawke/Keeting government reduced tarriffs and import restrictions, floated the $, undermined the unions, deregulated the banks, sold the commonwealth and quantas. From about (I forget the years exactly) 1984 to 1998 the percentages of rich and poor in australia as defined by the bureau of statistics doubled. The middle class shrank. Now the economic rationalists are happy, a few smart allec's are rich and most people are a lot worse off. (You might guess I'm pretty unhappy about this )

The government CAN fix petrol prices. They can reduce excise, they can regulate fuel prices by legislation. If they do the latter it has to be coupled with a ban on exports or we'll have fuel shortages. They don't for a couple of reasons. First the overwhelming sentiment in the west is pro globalisation, and governments seen to be backing away from that risk being discriminated against in the world economy and political forum. Another reason is there is signifigant opinion that high fuel prices are good for the enviroment, and the government wants to retain it's green credentials.

So they do what politicians always do, blow off some smoke and mirrors to make it look like they are doing something.

Regarding supermarkets, no small part of the duopoly is supported by town planning which has shut out aldi and other small players from choice sites and allowed the big 2 to corner the market. There appear to be moves afoot to counter this, but you can never be certain. If that happens we might get back to a situation like we had in the early 90's where w.. and coles are just 2 of many choices we have.

While I'm ranting I find it quite amusing that with teh new automatic meters we no longer have ANY recourse to challenge electricity bills. A chap 2 desks away got a 70% increase last month, lives alone no changes. Basically nothing he can do, cough or the lights go out.

I feel more like a serf every day.

[dazzler]

I feel more like a serf every day.

And thats enough out of you, back to your bowl of grooool

[Wardy]

Well I whinged about the last lot as well...... In the end you get a politican despite the promises and jingles. I reserve the right to whinge about politicians.

it does'nt matter who's in, they're all tared with the same brush