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Conference terri::cars_uk

Title:Cars in the UK
Notice:Please read new conference charter 1.70
Moderator:COMICS::SHELLEYELD
Created:Sun Mar 06 1994
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2584
Total number of notes:63384

2416.0. "Conspiracy on petrol prices?" by QUICHE::PITT ("Where there are no people, the vision perishes...") Fri Jun 02 1995 13:41

A mad thought for a Friday morning, presented as a series of questions and
comments:

1) Does anyone know which garage is the "reference" garage for petrol prices
used in the calculation of our mileage rate?

2) It seems reasonable to assume that it is the Shell garage opposite DEC Park,
since that is the one that is most easily checked.

3) Who owns that garage?

4) Now for the conspiracy theory:  does Digital part own that garage, or
subsidise petrol prices at it?

Here's the "evidence":  

1) Tesco has a "price pledge" on petrol prices - they say they are the cheapest
in the area.  I think this is all Tescos everywhere, but it is at least the one
at Basingstoke.  (As an aside, yesterday, the garage about five miles up the
Reading road was 1p per litre cheaper ...  must do something about that.)

2) Petrol prices in Reading are cheaper than in Basingstoke.  Why?  I don't
know, but competition will be part of it.

3) The price at the Shell garage opposite DEC Park yesterday was 51.9p, whereas
at Tesco, Basingstoke it was 53.9p.

4) If Digital subsidised the price at the Shell garage by, say, 2p per litre,
that would reduce what they have to pay us as the mileage rate.  There must
actually be a point at which they would save money by doing this ...


What do you all think?  Am I mad to think this up?

T
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
2416.2BRUMMY::MARTIN::BELLMartin Bell, North PSC, Birmingham UKSat Jun 03 1995 01:2915
    Nope, you are not mad!
    
    I must admit, after being at Death Park for the week on a training
    course, i could not believe the cheap petrol prices all the way down
    the Basingstoke Road.
    
    Sadly, everywhere else charges more, and when you are "on the road",
    and out earning money for this wonderful company, you haven't got time
    to seek out the "hyper-save" outlets, and get stung for typical prices
    of 55p or 56p per litre.
    
    Still, i drive a Frontera, so unless petrol is 10p per gallon, i lose
    out anyway, so what the heck!
    
    mb
2416.3BAHTAT::HILTONBeer...now there's a temporary solutionSat Jun 03 1995 18:164
    >> Sadly, everywhere else charges more,
    
    Apart from an excellent new Tesco near Brent Cross (on the way home
    from HHL) which has unleaded at 48.9!
2416.4I HATE PAYING FOR PETROL!!SEDSWS::OCONNELLPETER PERFECTWed Jun 14 1995 17:1312
    Tesco opened a garage in Beckenham 6 months ago and the price per
    litre was 46 odd pence, the cheapest in the area, gradually they
    increased their prices while the hypermarket they were building was
    being finished. The price now stands at 50.9 pence, when you consider I
    can get 60 litres in my cav that *was* a saving of nearly three squids
    a tankfull!
    
    If the Tesco in .3 is new you can expect it to rise shortly!!!
    all the other garages in the area now charge the same rate...apart
    from texaco they are about 55p!!!.
    
    pat
2416.5COMICS::SHELLEYWed Jun 14 1995 18:148
2416.6COMICS::CORNEJMon Jun 19 1995 15:095
    >>   round Southampton
                          
    And they *MAKE* the bl**dy stuff there :-)
    
    Jc
2416.7Bandit PatrolMASALA::SWRIGHTAre souls Clean..?? Tue Jun 20 1995 00:059
    There is a BP garage right across from the BP Oil refinery in 
    Grangemouth and its the most expensive in the town and they make the
    stuff just across the road...... 
    
    
    Scary..!! 
    
    
    
2416.8from the refinery to your tank..UBOHUB::BELL_A1precieved forward planning by digital.Thu Jun 22 1995 21:127
    
    
    re -1
        thats because it's fresh/free range  :-)
    
    
     Alan
2416.9!!!! Cheap petrol alert !!!!CHEFS::CZERESMWed Jun 12 1996 16:2015
    
    Hi, 
    
    Just a quick note anyone going down to Plymouth on the 
    A38 in the next few weeks and is a bit low on the old
    juice turn off at the Moretonhampstead jnc. and turn
    right, 500yds. is an Esso garage that sells a litre
    for  42.7 p (not a misprint) , this is down to a large 
    shopping warehouse called Trago Mills selling the 
    stuff at its garage for the same amount, could 
    not believe it !!!!
    
    Cheers
    
    Mark
2416.10Since I was a childTERRI::SIMONSemper in ExcernereWed Jun 12 1996 16:366
re Trago Mills

Good grief, haven't been there for years.
Still going I see.

Simon
2416.11That won't do nicelyCURRNT::PAYNE_Aplaying devils apricotWed Jun 12 1996 17:585
    I seem to remember that the Trego Mills garage doesn't take
    credit/debit cards, so if you're going that way, take cash or those
    paper thingies (with magnetic ink) you write on.
    
    Andy
2416.12Panic!OGRI::63536::BELLMartin Bell @BBP (M&U PSC)Wed Jun 12 1996 18:4812
    Re: .9
    
    Mark,
    
    please delete your note immediately, and ask the mods to reformat the
    disk upon which this notesfile resides to remove all evidence!!!!
    
    If HR find out about this then the mileage rate will be down to 6p per
    mile or less!!!!
    
    
    mb    ;-)
2416.13And then it was goneCHEFS::MITCHELL_GThu Jun 13 1996 14:064
    Dont worry the Esso Garage is now gone it is being Knocked down and
    probably being rebuilt.
    
    Gary
2416.14OGRI::63536::BELLMartin Bell @BBP (M&U PSC)Thu Jun 13 1996 14:211
Well that's one way of getting out of the "PriceWatch" clause!!
2416.15CBHVAX::CBHMr. CreosoteSat Jun 15 1996 01:138
>    please delete your note immediately, and ask the mods to reformat the
>    disk upon which this notesfile resides to remove all evidence!!!!

fortunately I don't (normally, at least) have sufficient privs on the host box 
to do this, I think its owner is concerned that I may cause too much damage 
otherwise!

Chris.