Why does heating oil cost so much?
Friday 23rd July 2010, 3:00PM BST.
Treasury Minister Philip Ozouf
The cost of heating oil in Jersey – which has been soaring at more than twice the rate of the UK – has been challenged by the Treasury Minister.
Senator Philip Ozouf said this morning that he intended to conduct his own investigation following the release this morning of the latest retail price index figures, which showed that inflation was running at 2.8 per cent over the past 12 months – 0.4 per cent lower than the March-to-March figure.
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I predict that this will be another pointless waste of time and money.
There will be an inquiry, a report and then…
nothing will happen, we will continue to pay more!
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how much in fees does it cost to discharge a tanker of any fuel???? apparently , not just any tanker fits our small berth.
also being a captive market on this fine rock, so take it or leave it , comes to mind ,may have something to do with it.
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Totally agree Pip, will be the “costs loads to ship it here” excuse then all forgotton.
Why have the JCRA not picked this up?
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Because people are being ripped off..plain and simple…and with the new technology and renewables available..the housing office especially should be taking on new cheaper, and healthier ways of heating peoples homes.
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On behalf of the Jersey tax payer I would like to offer the answer to Phil’s question free of charge and thus not requiring the need of a committee, an accounting firm or a UK consultant shipped over at a grand a day.
My report as to why heating oil is so flipping expensive compared to the UK.
Overview
Jersey is a small island with limited suppliers. Those supplying commodities which cannot be sourced via the internet are laughing.
Suggested solutions.
1. Phil, tell them to stop overcharging.
2. Request that States’ members with an interest in these firms declare them in order that any conflict of interest be known during any decision making process.
3. Now that Chuck is going back to the US, get the new competition regulator to look at important matters like this rather than picking on soft States owned companies like Jersey Post.
There you go, problem solved. That will be a grand total of nothing thanks.
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@2 David Brown
Crikey, you could charge the States a small fortune and a J cat for that bit of consultancy work.
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it’s pretty simple, phil – it’s cos we’re getting ripped off. but to be honest i thought that the average person on the street getting stung didn’t seem to bother you that much …
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Will someone please tell the boy Phil we don’t want an investigation to take our minds off other issues, we still need a decent supermarket – 500gm Waitrose cornflakes £1.57 750gm Tesco cornflakes £1.20 – Nuff Said!!!!!
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Probably for the same reason that your main industry steals money out of my pocket every year. I thought the Treasury Minister might understand capitalism.
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I remember as a kid heating oil was not around a freezing bedroom etc still got by…how about extra blankets and stuff save yourself a fortune., or cuddle up close to loved ones and feel the heat there! possibilities are endless to save energy costs.
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Quite simple Philip – YOU TAX IT TOO MUCH!
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How appropriate that the cost of heating oil is being used as a smokescreen to mask other inadequacies from the treasury!
If you look at 5 (Love Jersey) and point number 2, the question of vested interests is an excellent one. If the people of Jersey found out the extent that the very people running the island were the ones ripping them off then we’d have an insurrection within hours.
Phil will carry out a similar exercise as he did when he asked “why does it cost so much to shop here?” and come up with hardly any answers and certainly no concrete methods of bringing costs down for the great unwashed.
If a humanitarian like Alan Brecon were to carry out such a probe, then it would be focused on what is unfair, unjust and simply discrimanatory towards the have-nots, by the have-yachts.
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Not sure but some time ago I think it was decided that the oil companies or at least some of them would not ship home heating grade kerosene and aircraft grade kerosen into the Island because it cost more to do that and keep two separate storage systems. I believe its all one grade and you can bet your bottom $ that the airlines are not paying per litre what we do.
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flymo(6) as a jerseyman, having not worth a light these days quallies, i do not need the j cat.
if i could do one thing, for my fellow islanders and not have the raising of taxes , i would do it, if it was in my grasp.
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Perhaps it has only just been discovered in Jersey that you can run diesel vehicles on heating oil as fuel !!!
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Jersey is peculiar in more ways than one. Our small rock acco8nts for about 5% of the entire UK heating oil market; why because we are not on mainstream gas, the prime heating fuel for the UK.
The real cost driver is the lack of mainstream natural gas. If Jersey was to get online with natural gas from France; then we would see competitive pressure on the local heating fuel market. The JCRA may have a role, but the simple answer is more support for Jersey Gas. Won’t cost a penny!
David Brown (14). Too true, us true locals could sort the matter. No need for J-cats.
Rogerwing (15) Thanks for the tip. Yes can run diesel vehicles on heating oil but that is illegal; works fine until you are arrested.
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One word Phil, “CARTEL” but you already knew that
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Why does heating oil cost so much ?
Answer : Because you tax it so much Senator, the same as you tax all middle classes…doesn’t effect your mate through eh… not to worry you don’t have long left to insult the middle classes !
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#16 The lack of mainstream gas drives me up the wall, especially when house-hunting, it’s few and far between.
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Does’nt it get you just there, in the heart, to think Phil is concerned how much we are paying for heating oil. I’ve come over all emotional now, to think he really cares.
How insincere is he ?? How about all the tax that is loaded on top of not just heating oil, but also tax on road fuel, ie diesel, petrol.
Would he care to publish a breakdown on figures , based on basic cost per litre of each fuel to port, then how much tax/duty is put on, followed by the average cost charged to the various garage outlets .
How far out am I , if I suggested petrol was landed off the boat for around .40p per litre, then .35p or .40p is put on for tax/duty. Garages then put on their make up….so depending where you fuel up can make a significant difference.
Yes, the road tax is included, but for those who remember paying £30 or so to tax a car, try working out how much it actually costs in tax now….+/- £100 either way. I reckon for the average mileage motorist here , it’s circa £600 tax per annum
That’s the thing about a leech….it don’t look much, but it gets what it wants in the end.
We’ve wised up to you now Phil, so don’t pretend to be concerned…..and in any case it’s probably a red herring , as you’re really trying to take attention from something else you and you’re lot are plotting
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This is typical government spin to cover up their mistakes and divert the attention away from the real issues of increased tax is inflationary and and makes the island extremely expensive to live in.
This is similar to the latest states pop at the fee paying school or is that private schools.. “heres how much tax payers money is going to private schools, but we have left out VCP/VC and JCG as they are fee paying not private” – sorry can someone please explain how VCP/JCG are not private or DLS/Beaulieu not fee paying?
I was speaking to a certain Terry le Sueur who was on the board of governors at
De La Salle and queried why the school at the time was putting up fees by 6-7% his response at the time was that DLS to continue providing facilities and education standards had to keep in touch with VCP/JCG who got more in states subsidy than the other schools in total – I believe he was the finance minister at the time and knew what he was talking about.
So how much are VCP/JCG subsidised by the states? private or not? and while we are at it for comaprison how much does it cost to run a states school?
Additionally people who send their children to these schools pay taxes AND school fees thus putting more money into the economy? Pure sensationalism and spin…
Please just cut the spin and the CR@P or are the COM too scared of us finding out exactly how much of a mess we are really in?
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