Millietant - I'm happier to excuse the fuel companies who ship us the fuel, and have built (and have to maintain!) the infrastructure than give 63% of what I, poor Joe Schmuck, end up paying at the pump.
Which means that of the 110p/L we pay, the fuel firm only gets 37% of that, when they've done all the work to get it to us, and the government has done foc all!
Whilst I agree with the sentiment, the anger is misplaced. By your calculations, the fuel companies are making 11p on each litre of petrol. That 11p goes towards:
- The shipping of the crude to the refinery
- The refining of the crude into petrol
- The shipping of the petrol to national distribution centres
- The distribution to local fuel stations
- Maintenance, or hire costs, on all equipment: tankers, refineries, distribution centres, lorries, pumps etc etc etc.
The government does none of the above. And cooly pockets
6.3 times the profit the fuel company gets. Can you imagine trying to run a small business like that? You'd be bankrupt in a matter of hours!!
What this country needs is a revolution.
EDIT: MTread - I agree completely (started my response before I saw yours). But that's another lie we were sold - we were all told 10 (or even fewer!!) years ago to buy diesels as they were less polluting, more efficient, the fuel was cheaper, so would save us money, blah de blah. Today, we're being told that diesel is carcinogenic, the fuel's more expensive, and we're all stuck with cars that are getting clobbered with these so-called "eco-taxes". We are systematically being sold up the river by these grubby politicians!!!