Saturday, 16 April 2011

Petrol prices threaten holiday getaway



Soaring pump prices are threatening to put a damper on the Easter getaway.

According to the latest figures petrol is now costing an average of 134.17 pence a litre compared to 119.90 this time last year. Meanwhile diesel has risen from 120.65 pence to 140.57 a litre.

The increase in petrol prices, for example means that the driver of a car with a 50 litre car, such as a Vauxhall Astra just over £67 to fill up, compared with £59.95 a year ago.

Even though the temperature is expected to approach 70F, the AA predicted that many motorists will be loathe to venture out to the seaside.

"I think this is what we will see this year," said Edmund King, the AA's president.

"People are cutting back on how far they will go. According to our latest poll, 49 per cent of people are now driving less."

The AA believes this could be bad news for seaside resorts, who normally would expect to cash in when the sun comes out.

"These increases have been like water torture, there has been a gradual drip, drip, drip of rising prices."

Friday, 1 April 2011

Huge queues outside garage as decimal point blunder sees Asda sell petrol for 12.9p a litre


* News spread quickly after pricing error was spotted
* A full tank of petrol cost motorists only £4
* Drivers turned up with jerry cans to cash in on the cut-price bonanza

Motorists were treated to fuel at the unbelievable price of 12.9 pence a litre thanks to an amazing blunder at a supermarket petrol station.

Dozens of drivers queued outside the Asda store in Rooley Lane, Bradford, desperate to make the most of the error, caused by the misplacement of a decimal point.

Some motorists made off with a full tank of fuel for only £4 before staff at the store realised what was happening and stepped in to end the bargain buying.

Motorists queuing outside Asda's store in Rooley Lane, Bradford, after the supermarket accidentally offered petrol for just 12.9p a litre

Queuing for a bargain: Motorists outside Asda's Rooley Lane store in Bradford after the supermarket accidentally offered petrol for just 12.9p a litre

 

The accidental cut in prices happened from 10.30pm until 12.20am early on Wednesday this week.

So many motorists were tipped off about the incredible bonanza that police noticed huge queues snaking away from the supermarket.

Several even brought jerry cans and other containers with them which they filled to the brim with the cut-price fuel.

Others stared in wonder at the cheap prices as they paid using the automated card payment 'fast lane' pumps. And because the kiosk was closed, it took nearly two hours for bosses to realise the error.

The inadvertent discount on the automatic, card-payment fast-lane pumps on the forecourt was caused by the misplacement of a decimal point

Spot the mistake? With the kiosk closed motorists filled up on four of the garage's automatic pumps for more than two hours before the error was spotted

Jonathan Dixon, 25, a self-employed network technician, was just one of the dozens of drivers who took advantage.

He said: 'We got a tip-off from a friend saying Asda had made a mistake.

'Unfortunately my car is diesel but a friend went down and phoned up saying it was actually that price. So they filled up their car - they got nearly 33 litres for £4.

'There were cars round the block, completely out of the Asda car park and actually starting to jam the road up outside, and this was at about 11.30pm.

'My friends just couldn't believe that the mistake had happened. We were wondering how long it was going to last - we saw the police drive by once or twice, and they were just looking at what the jam was.

'In the end, about an hour-and-a-half later, some people came across from the site, I guess they were the managers, and they said, "Look, there's something wrong, stop what you are doing," and they just pulled the emergency stop.'

Several motorists brought jerry cans and other containers with them, which they filled to the brim with the cut-price fuel

Queue at the pump: Several motorists brought jerry cans and other containers with them; others couldn't believe what they were seeing

An Asda spokesman admitted that human error was to blame with a decimal point being put in the wrong place as staff programmed the four automatic pumps to allow the filling station to operate after the cashiers' kiosk was closed.

It meant unleaded was sold at 12.9p per litre, rather than 129.9p for nearly two hours until the pumps were eventually shut down.

The spokesman said: 'We're well known for having the lowest prices in town, but clearly this was a mistake.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1372389/Huge-queues-form-outside-garage-decimal-point-error-means-petrol-sold-just-12-9p-litre.html#ixzz1IIBAE5IJ