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| Originally Posted by Scuttler My understanding is that the duty on fuel is exactly the same as on petrol....it's the fuel companies that are putting the price of diesel higher than that of petrol. I can't remember where I read it but apparently this started to happen when more and more cars owners started switching from petrol to diesel.
I don't know how other governments tax their fuel but it is interesting that in France where the majority of cars are diesel (or certainly seem to be everytime i drive there) although the prices are not a million miles from the prices we pay (still cheaper though) that diesel is less expensive than petrol. |
Diesels are much more economical than Petrol engined cars. As a result if every one drove a diesel and got 30% more MPG then the govt would lose that equivalent level in tax on fuel.
In 1970 probably 1 in 1000 cars were diesel. In 1980 probably 1 in 500
Now in 2007 I reckon its more like 1 in 3 new cars sold is a diesel
So they increased the tax on diesel to make it less attractive and to compensate for this affect. The fact a modern diesel is less of a green house gas pollutant than a petrol engined car seems to have been conveniently overlooked.
ATB
Mark Chase