marty_t3

Neil,

It said something on the radio about the oil they're using is classed as a food therefor is not taxed. Apparently all motor vehicle fuel has to be taxed and by using the cooking oil they're skipping paying fuel tax. Sounds like no matter what fuel you run your car on, you still have to pay the duty on it.

Any idea how that would work with electric cars?? When they're being charged up is the electricity supply used to do it taxed at a higher rate?? I very much doubt it.

I don't agree with it either but it looks to be the governemt/police just scamming more money from the motorist.

[Edited by marty_t3 - 10/9/2002 2:35:52 PM]

Andy Winskill

LONDON (Reuters) - A Welsh police team dubbed "the Frying Squad" has been formed to sniff out motorists who fuel their cars with cooking oil from fish and chip shops in a bid to avoid paying high government fuel taxes.


Three Welsh motorists have already been caught and fined for using waste oil from restaurants selling the favourite deep-fried dish, the Times reported on Wednesday.


"I have halved my motoring costs since I started running my Subaru on cooking oil," the paper quoted one of those stopped as saying.


"The car runs just as well and even smells a lot better than diesel."


The drivers were fined 500 pounds and warned that persistent offenders may face up to seven years in jail.


Cooking oil mixed with methanol costs about 32 pence a litre, compared with 73 pence for a litre of diesel bought from a petrol station, the Times reported.

marty_t3

Whats the problem with using cooking oil to fuel a car? are the emissions too high or something? I didn't know there was any sort of legislation saying it was illegal to do... i'm sure i've seen something on TV before with some guy with a merc diesel who does the same and the presenter was praising the merits of it.

If someone can use waste products to fuel a car i'd have thought that should be commended. (but i think i'll stick to optimax for now )

Andy Winskill

True - I remember reading about methane being an "alternative fuel" for cars. They'll be taxing me for farting next

Jolly Green Monster 2

It is legal justy you are suppose to send the taxman so many pence per litre.. something like 27p I think..

I don;t think Subaru do a diesel engine so something funny about the article (or am I wrong?)

So perfectly legal to run a diesel on cooking oil.. apparently no drop in performance or economy (both crap already anyway).

You just need to start it on diesel from cold, run the fuel line from a separate tank for the cooking oil around the radiator pipes to warm the cooking oil up and T it into the diesel fuel like..
once car is warm switch to the cooking oil...

Looked into it.. only I don't already have a diesel so didn;t bother..

JGM

marty_t3

Just how many people are in this police "team" who are sniffing out these dangerous criminals? They've caught 3 already? Thank god.. it's almost safe to walk the streets again.

Hardly seems like a worthwhile venture to me. Must be costing the police thousands of pounds a day to stop ppl dodging a few hundred quid of tax.

Nigel H

Yeah but is it any better than Optimax

I suppose it might make the car better as it will then be chipped

If there was someway of getting them running on mushy peas this could improve the boost

Off to the muppets!

marty_t3

Just heard an update on the news. Thats 6 people that have now been caught by the "highly trained crack stealth fuel duty police team".

The lowlife criminal scum are being hit with a 500 quid fine each. Thats 3000 quid back so far to the government to make up for the quoted 145 million pounds that they said the country is losing out on because of people dodging fuel duty.

Only another 289994 criminals to catch and they've got our money back

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Well they are certainly efficient if they have caught 6 people already??? I bet they haven't caught the person that stole Munchers WRX yet though!!!!!!

marty_t3

wurzel,

Thats a different "highly trained crack stealth police team" that are dealing with that one. But... unfortunately due to the costs of the fuel duty team they can't afford to pay the team to find car thiefs.

Neil Smalley

Why were they done at all?????

They got their cars to run on fuel other than diesel, Petrol or LPG. Does that mean if someone manages to get a car that runs on air(its been done but costs £££) then we'd have to pay fuel duty on air? Air makes us 'go' so we should have to have a breath tax.

I can see they could be done for using 'red' diesel in their cars but a fuel that has no tax on it???

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Why not give them Ideas Mr small e !!!!!!!!

Paloma

What about electric cars ???

are they duty free ???


chris

chiark

You've paid your energy tax on the fuel already thanks to our caring, sharing government taxing your electricity and gas bills.

This, imho, is absolutely feckin' ridiculous. What could be better than taking a waste product and using it in an energy efficient manner??? (Energy efficient compared to junking the stuff, or running on petrol )

Idiots. Evidence of superficial thinking by the Government to me. I'm sure claudius would agree. No, actually, I'm sure he'd disagree just to be an ****

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Now, now guys. Why would ANYONE be surprised at the police these days being more interested in "solving" so called "crimes" that end up making money for them or the government, rather than finding out who's nicking cars......which doesn't!
All IMHO, of course, but the cops are a waste of taxpayer's money. :
Alcazar

chockymonster

So does that mean I can't fill my car up in france and drive it over here? technically I haven't paid tax to the government.

johnfelstead

you already pay £10 in a tax levied on you for leaving the country. So they have already screwed you before you even get the chance to fill up over there.

This country really does have its priorities all screwed up, not sure why i still live here to be honest.

ChrisB

Bump for the other locked threads... Keeps the debate in one place

ustolemyname??stevieturbo

iTrader: (1)

Over here a lot of filling stations are closing down due to the much cheaper diesel in the south. You can simply drive over the border, fill up for approx 50p/l diesel, and drive home. They can do nothing. Many haulage firms even have drivers just drive down to fill up the lorries, although I recently heard there is a limit of 1200 litres. If you are transporting in an external tank ( ie the one that is not directly feeding the engine ) then you will be classed as smuggling.
petrol is cheaper, but not as much. Ive heard of people buying diesel in bulk, for 38p/l
Tony's government have no clue as to what is going on in the real world. He is causing business over here to close, and filling stations to close everywhere. Haulage firms register a lot of their lorris down south, which can save approx £5000 per year per lorry in some cases.
Even Shell owned filling stations have all closed down here. Privately owned stations that sell Shell fuel are still open. They claimed they could not compete with the smuggled fuel, and that forecourt insurance suddenly doubled for no reason.
WAKE UP TONY, start living in the real world and help the UK to prosper, dont drive us into despair.

Huxley

All I can say is robbing lying two faced bast***d in government

Off down the chipshop for fish and chips


Huxley

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Get me some will ya Huxley only we can't get them over here