Government and fuel duty 6p a litre

[leotheloin]

MOTORISTS are being warned to be wary of cheap fuel after Revenue officials launched a probe into 'petrol stretching'.

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Revenue Commissioners, Customs and Excise and Gardai have been investigating the practice after reports of significant fuel contamination in the west, border regions and midlands.
Petrol stretching involves adding up to 10pc of kerosene to petrol before selling it to unwitting drivers.
Kerosene, which is used as a fuel for heating, is widely available for as little as 80c per litre, as opposed to petrol which is close to double that at €1.55.
A retailer who buys in 10,000 litres of petrol, could pay out €15,000 but a competitor illegally adding 10pc kerosene to 9,000 litres of petrol will pay only €14,300 - a saving of €700.
The average price of petrol at the minute is just under €1.56 - but one outlet under investigation was charging less than €1.52. Samples tested showed a positive presence of nearly 10pc of kerosene.
It is estimated that well over 100 petrol cars have already had their engines badly damaged by petrol stretching, including a number of rented 142-registration cars.
A source said: "It is believed that petrol is being mixed with the kerosene after it comes into the county, but this is very difficult for gardai to investigate as there are so many suppliers."
Kerosene will damage an engine even more quickly than most laundered diesel and vehicles with smaller petrol engines are most at risk.
The damage is so severe in many cases that engine pistons have melted and end up coated in carbon, leaving the driver facing massive repair bills.
The common indicators for petrol stretching that motorists should watch out for include a lack of power and misfiring of the engine.
They may also experience a knocking noise and low compression with excessive crank case pressure.
Some insurance companies that used to cover engine and associated damage resulting from contaminated fuel, now exclude it in their policies.
The insurers that will not accept such liability have suggested to customers who have had engines damaged as a result of contaminated fuel that they should seek compensation from the fuel retailers where they purchased the fuel.
As far back as 2009, Customs officers from both sides of the border were aware of a growing trend of stretching petrol but it is now seen as a priority.
In the past, criminals have added methanol and ethanol - which are essentially paint thinners - to fuel to get more for their money.
Irish Independent

[Meat-Head]

Intresting paragon (iShit Failiure) kerosene makes the engine run hitter. (iShit Failiure) hotter .

'some time ago' I inherited 15 litres of disel contaminated fuel, when I promptly inserted in my car, it ran and started ok, but knocked linked, rattled and hummed when booted, so I just ran it untill fuel all used and refilled.


hundrads of years ago parra fin was cheaper than petrol, you had Warer pumps in fuels, start on petrol, change to paraffin, end of day cut parra din off run on petrol tgen stop ready fir next day.

[GastonJ]

Oil prices are likely to continue falling well into 2015, the International Energy Agency has said.
The IEA, a consultancy to 29 countries, said weak demand and the US shale gas boom meant crude's recent fall below $80 a barrel was not over.
On Friday, Brent crude, one of the major price benchmarks, traded at $78.13 a barrel, near a four-year low.
"It is increasingly clear that we have begun a new chapter in the history of the oil markets," the IEA said.
"Barring any new supply problems, downward price pressures could build further in the first half of 2015."

The organisation, set up after the "oil shock" of the early 1970s to advise major oil importing countries, said that pressure was building on the Opec oil producers' group to restrict supply to bolster prices.
However, there have been reports that Saudi Arabia, Opec's key member, is not yet willing to turn off the taps. Opec members are due to meet on 27 November to discuss the supply and demand issues.
Most Opec members rely on oil revenues to support economic growth and spending.
Also, it is likely that oil and gas explorers will become increasingly worried that falling prices will make exploration uneconomical.

BBC News - Oil prices likely to fall further, says IEA

You never know it may keep the basseds away from fracking....

So the price of fuel should have fallen like a brick. Has it hell, as usual the second the pil price rises fuel prices do, the second it goes down they claim to be looking at the long term. There was an investigation into the price of fuel, but I can't find the results, strange eh. Although if the price drops then the government will want to hike the cost anyway. Either way the motorist will lose any chance of cheaper fuel.

[Meat-Head]

OFF TOPIC:

ofgen FORCE the power suppliers to charge a standing charge.

wounderr if that's going to happen with gasoline

[ifred]

I read an article that the Opec are trying to lower the price to bust the shale gas producers below $60 a barrel is uneconomic for shale production
then they monopolise the market again, street price of fuel is another game!?
Black gold is a dirty business.

[GastonJ]

Our government would do the same to them given the chance. So we keep the shale gas a few more years, we should still have cheaper fuel prices though, which isn't the case.