Fuel crisis eases
as pricefall predicted
PROTESTS: Extra oil stocks expected to get through to end...
Sep 15, 2005 - Coventry Evening Telegraph
Author(s): James Mccarthy
ENGLAND
MOTORISTS today looked set for some relief at the forecourts with
forecasts the cost of a litre of petrol could fall by as much as 4p next
week.
Experts said petrol prices were likely to fall from their current
average of 96p a litre as refineries start pumping extra oil stocks
following the intervention of the International Energy Agency.
Chris Hunt, director general of the UK Petroleum Industry
Association, said prices could ease by 3p or 4p as this starts to enter
the system.
He said: "Prices should be back down to pre-Katrina levels as that
filters through over the next week or so."
The cost of a barrel of oil in New York now stands below 64 US
dollars, off the record high of more than 70 US dollars seen in the wake
of Hurricane Katrina.
A spokesman for the AA Motoring Trust said the group was "cautiously"
expecting a fall in petrol prices but added: "These things take time to
work through."
In addition to the impact of Hurricane Katrina, he said a lot of
people were unlikely to need petrol for a few days since they filled up
their tanks in the past couple of days. This in turn should ease demand
and bring down prices.
Motorists rushed to garages to fill up their vehicles amid fears fuel
protests could disrupt supplies. However, the protest failed to
materialise with just a handful of demonstrators taking part.
"It's going to take a lot of pressure off a lot of people, not just
motorists but also the oil companies," he said.
Driver Linda baffled by speedy diesel hike
COVENTRY motorist Linda Jarvis will be delighted if prices at the
pumps do drop next week after facing a price hike between fill-ups
within 90 minutes.
She filled her car with diesel then returned to fill another - only
to find the price had gone up 1.6p a litre while she was gone.
Mrs Jarvis, aged 53, of Peregrine Drive, Allesley Green, visited the
Esso garage on Fletchamstead Highway, Canley Ford, at 1.50pm on Monday,
to fill up her Volkswagen Golf. Her receipt shows the price of diesel to
be 94.9p a litre.
But when she returned to fill up her Honda CR-V, she found the cost
had shot up to 96.5p.
The former secretary said: "I noticed people were queuing up and that
there were not many pumps with diesel. That was at about 1.50pm. I got
back home and I said 'if they are going to queue perhaps we should make
sure we have got enough and fill theother car,' because we've got two
diesels.
"So I went in there and put a little bit in and I noticed that it had
gone up to 96.5p.
"I thought 'that's a bit odd' and went in and said to the guy 'how
come it was 94.9p earlier?'
"I said 'I don't think that's on.' He said it was down to head office
and that they took instructions from there."
An Esso spokesman said: "We conduct observations to see how our
competitors are pricing, to make sure our prices are competitive. What
we decided (on Monday) was that at that site we should increase the
prices from 94.9p to 96.5p, which is still a competitive price.
Regrettably from the customer's perspective it changed during the
hour-and-a-half when she went there."
Up and down at the pumps
AT the Texaco garage in Sandpits Lane, Keresley, prices suddenly shot
up then came down just as quickly. Ernie Sears, 59, of Shaftesbury
Avenue, Keresley, spotted the price rise of a whopping pounds 1.09 for
diesel and unleaded fuel. The retired miner and dad- of-three said: "I
just went away and went to another garage in Fillongley." The business
was encouraged to lower its prices after the Evening Telegraph contacted
Texaco. A spokesman said: "We have got 32 Texaco branded service
stations in and around the West Midlands, most of which are
independently owned. "This means we sell fuel to them at a price based
on an international market price and then they are free to decide how
much they want to charge.
"But we have spoken to the owner of this site and he has confirmed
the price of unleaded fuel will be changed and it will be 95.9pence for
unleaded and 95.9pence for diesel. It has always been Texaco's aim
to be competitive with our fuel prices and the price of a litre of
unleaded fuel is currently between 95.9pence and 99.9pence a litre."
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