This could be a headline in the United States! It was the headline in the UK today. The government has just added a 2 pence per liter tax to petrol. Pumps in the UK dispense petrol by the liter. The price per liter is averaging (according to the news station) at 1.02 (one pound, 2 pence) - that takes into account, as of midnight the new tax. There are four liters in a gallon. That means the price per gallon is 4.08 (four pounds, 8 pence). Take into account the exchange rate, which as of today calculated at $1.00 USD =.61 pence. So in dollars, the cost for a gallon of gasoline here = $6.67. On Sunday, I purchased petrol, it cost me 1.02 - I will check today at the same station and see if it has risen to 1.04 per liter. Add a 90 minute round trip drive each day to school and you have a tight budget. According to Sam she usually spends 40 pounds to fill her tank - TWICE a week. That's about $130.00 per week, just to get to school. At home this is my weekly budget for gas, food, daily coffee, incidentals and a Friday afternoon "pub hop" with snacks! Culture shock...defined by petrol prices at the pumps.
The UK government has instituted this tax in order to "beef up" their fledgling national treasury. Basically the government is broke. Sounds like a familiar story doesn't it?
Update - since I wrote this blog, about 7 a.m. in a three hour span, the price at the pump where the news broadcaster has been stationed to do his story, has risen by two pence, to 1.04 per liter...the pumps across the street from his location have remained at 1.01 - price wars have begun!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Noooo! I fill up weekly, not twice a week! Sorry for any misunderstanding.
ReplyDeleteAHHH - well that's a bit better.
ReplyDelete