Diesel in 'cheaper than Petrol' shocker

[Welly]

Anyone know what's going on with fuel prices?

Diesel now cheaper than Petrol? that's new

[DaiRees]

That's old!

Diesel always used to be cheaper than petrol when I were a lad. It only became more expensive when diesel cars became very popular, supply and demand. I reckon now that there's a swing back towards these small, efficient and powerful petrol engines, the prices are swinging back that way too.

[jonsowman]

Down to lower wholesale prices apparently... what's causing that I don't know.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33594585

[highlander]

Diesel is cheaper to make anyway, from what I remember reading. Requires less refinement than petrol, or something.

Of course the oil companies and forecourts will sell it for more here, as the vast majority of taxis, corporate fleet cars, rentals, trucks, trains, lorries, and agricultural vehicles run on diesel (as opposed to the US, where petrol is king). It costs them less to produce than petrol, and they'll just boost the price if demand is higher for diesel, as it's a good way of maximising profits.

[PeterN]

Diesel is akin to heating fuel and that is the cheapest now that it has been for a number of years. Kerosene which is 28sec heating oil is 35p per litre today, three years ago it was 69p per litre. Gas oil which is almost identical to diesel is 35sec heating oil and I believe is the same price.

Peter

[Doggy]

Has to be down to wholesale price, as the taxation element is the same for both, see this 'ere: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33594585

Apparently it's due to problems in S American refineries leading to greater demand on 'our' sources from N America, and since the septics don't favour diesel cars demand for petrol keeps the price high, while less demand for diesel = lower wholesale prices for us.

Clear?

[Welly]

I'm currently enjoying* average MPG's of 31 in the 5-cylinder 2.5 trubot swedish tank enterprise even though I was caught accelerating 'heavily' to 35mph by the Greater Collyweston Police recently. Although my engine is literally sipping* petrol it is counterbalanced by the increase in price, great*.

The OMGMPG's are due in part* to the weekly long-haul relative visiting operation schedules.

Special mentions go out to the 4 lads in the Barried Voxhorl Coarsehair on Sat night who got 'owned' by someone who was annoyed and should know better and wanted to get home before 9pm in the Grey Volvo Saloon on the A16 near Market Deeping. Hopefully your ego has recovered by now

[steve_earwig]

I'm currently enjoying* average MPG's of 31

That's about what yoyoII is returning, and I'm driving it like a little old lady Although, thinking about it, the consumption improved drastically on the old one when I stopped doing that and just drove it

Diesel has never got more expensive than petrol here, but then I guess the pig's urine they bulk it out with is still cheap.

[Welly]

I dunno, I have the opinion that if you drive slow you're always on the throttle, but speed up and you're lifting off more once up to speed, like.

A slushmatic won't return decent mpg until its in top gear and stopped messing about? which'd be at over 45 mph?

[steve_earwig]

A slushmatic won't return decent mpg until its in top gear and stopped messing about?

Talking of messing about, 'twas fun the other day with cruise engaged on the old highway. Going up the hills it'd start slowing down so it'd shift into 3rd, reach the right speed, change into 4th. start slowing down... It's quite underpowered for what it is really.

which'd be at over 45 mph?

Oooh, I dunno that What is 45mph anyway? Just a shade over 70kmh, lower than that I think. Dunno, the handbook probably says but it's in forrin

[Welly]

KPH into MPH is x 0.62 conversion factor, or divide for the other way round.

E.g: 100KPH x 0.62 = 62MPH

Sorry about your Grandmothers Egg's etc...

[PeterN]

I'm getting 50-60mpg from the 406, that's 10p per mile or less, its a long time since it was that cheap.

Peter

[benczuk]

here's a question, is it better to boot it to get to speed on a motorway / dual carriageway with a short burst of very low MPG or to slowly accelerate to speed over a longer time with a medium MPG?

[PeterN]

On a diesel definitely better to accelerate slowly. As the throttle only controls the fuel input and not the air, the less throttle you use the leaner the mixture hence better economy.

Peter

[benczuk]

Hmm.

Accelerating up hill when joining the by pass near me if I floor it the display read 9 MPG ish and it takes 10 seconds ish

Being gentle probably triples the time and I get a reading of 20 - 25

Lets say it evens out at 35 after that (still going up hill)

10 seconds @ 9mpg + 20 seconds @35 = average of 26MPG per second
30 seconds @ 25 = average of 25MPG per second

If on the flat and the 'up to speed mpg' is even better then the difference should be even more in favor of booting it should it not?