Downing Street denies need to ration fuel

Tawney · Post by **Tawney** » 17 Dec 2010, 17:09

The shape of things to come?

Downing Street rejects claims over fuel shortages

... Downing Street was forced to respond to reports that heating oil might need to be rationed over the winter because of rocketing prices and restricted deliveries, admitting there was a problem moving it around the country. The energy minister, Charles Hendry, sparked alarm yesterday when he warned the House of Commons that the situation could become "very serious" if there was further snow over the Christmas period.

Thousands of public buildings and an estimated 660,000 homes rely on oil for heating and Hendry told MPs some had been told supplies would not be available for four weeks. But David Cameron's spokesman today said he did not think that would happen.

"The position at the moment is that there is sufficient fuel," he said. "The problem is getting it around the country. "We have been doing things to try to ease the situation, for example relaxing rules on driving time [for lorries]. "We are actively looking at this issue and talking to local authorities and hauliers to make sure we are doing everything we can to make sure we ease the situation."

Suppliers have faced allegations of price-fixing as oil prices in the last month alone have jumped from under 40p a litre to more than 70p in some cases. "We are extremely aware that if there is further snow over Christmas, this situation could become very serious indeed," Hendry said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/dec/1 ... vel-misery

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17 Dec 2010, 17:37

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 17 Dec 2010, 19:17

Yes rationing by price is alive and well. A neighbour of mine, in his 70s, told me he had just been quoted 76p/litre. He said he would wait till the price came down, eking out what he had left and burning more wood.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17 Dec 2010, 19:43

tattercoats · Post by **tattercoats** » 17 Dec 2010, 19:48

You're a good sort, TT.

featherstick · Post by **featherstick** » 17 Dec 2010, 21:06

Nice one TT

Tawney · Post by **Tawney** » 18 Dec 2010, 00:11

Yes, good idea TT.

A point I’ve made before is that unless some other form of rationing is devised, energy will be rationed by price alone – good for some perhaps, not for others.

Consider who might be “priced out”:

- Hospitals
- Fire Services
- Police
- Councils (e.g. school buses, street cleaners etc)
- Little old ladies in tower blocks
- Low paid key workers
- Young unemployed
- Small business workers (UKs largest employment sector)
- Specific regions in Britain (as some regions – like the SE – will be able to afford the highest prices)

http://www.powerswitch.org.uk/forum/vie ... c&start=45

madibe · Post by **madibe** » 18 Dec 2010, 17:11

76p a litre is just appalling.

I was quoted 92p last week and my mate managed to get a quote of over £1 per ltr.

The price has dropped back somewhat since then...but hey! Amazing. I feel honoured that I ordered mine 3-4 weeks ago for 43.5p....but could only afford half a tonne. So - need to go steady on it.

Joy.

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 18 Dec 2010, 17:23

Never believe anything until it's officially denied.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 18 Dec 2010, 19:01

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 18 Dec 2010, 20:00

TroubledTimes wrote:One thing we can all do, is bang on the Rt. Honourable Andrew Lansleys bloody front door, he lives two doors down from me!

Rather than offering to help your neighbours yourself, you could have told them that it's open house at Andrew Lansley's if there's a power cut

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 18 Dec 2010, 20:40

What a positively constructive post, TT, you seem to have got your own personal Transition Intiative going.

Sometimes snow can be a bit of a bringing together. I met a neighbour, well, 400 yards away, for the first time in 20 years last week on a snow shovelling to get someone's car going mission.

Tawney · Post by **Tawney** » 20 Dec 2010, 00:13

Millions facing fuel rationing over Christmas as heating oil runs low

An estimated two million homes, schools and hospitals face fuel rationing over Christmas after MPs warned that supplies of heating oil would hit "crisis" point during the cold snap.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... s-low.html

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 20 Dec 2010, 00:24

Houston, we have a problem.

DominicJ · Post by **DominicJ** » 20 Dec 2010, 08:31

Consider who might be “priced out”:

- Hospitals
- Fire Services
- Police
- Councils (e.g. school buses, street cleaners etc)
- Little old ladies in tower blocks
- Low paid key workers
- Young unemployed
- Small business workers (UKs largest employment sector)
- Specific regions in Britain (as some regions – like the SE – will be able to afford the highest prices)

The first four are government.
Governments dont get priced out by their own populace, they simply take what they need.
If the hospitals run out of fuel, you'll have been buying road fuel in jerry cans from the back of a lorry for months with foreign currency.