Category Archives: Fuels

Voters warn no carbon tax on fuel

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man at petrol pump

Would you support a carbon tax if it means an increase in fuel prices?

The inaugural NRMA Motoring & Services More4Members Cost of Living survey has found almost two-thirds of people will not support a political party that proposes a Carbon Tax if it means fuel prices will increase.

The survey of around 1,200 Members found the following:

  • 60% will not vote for a political party that introduces a Carbon Tax that forces up the price of fuel.
  • 87% said their cost of living was higher than 12 months ago, while two-thirds were suffering from stress as a result.
  • 55% believe the cost of living will increase substantially over the next 12 months, while 15% said they had taken on a second job or were working longer hours to cover expenses as a result of increasing costs.
  • The average household spent an extra $50 on groceries compared with last year, with 82% highlighting they eat out less than they did 12 months ago.
  • Almost 40%  would like to see the Federal Government reduce power costs, another 19% want to see downward pressure on interest rates and 18% want to see reduced fuel costs.
  • More than 42% used discount vouchers in order to save money, with almost a third admitting to using vouchers frequently. And 85% of people who used discount vouchers used them for fuel.

NRMA President Wendy Machin said the NRMA would seek assurances from the Australian Government that the Carbon Tax would not force up the cost of fuel and cause further strain on families struggling with the cost of living.

“Our members are struggling under the cost of living pressures and it is the NRMA’s responsibility to fight to ensure that every cent increase on a litre of petrol brought about by the Carbon Tax is offset by a reduction in the fuel excise,” Ms Machin said.

“The NRMA surveyed our Members because we wanted to ask average Australians about the real effect of rising costs and the ways they look to save money.

Would you support a carbon tax if it means fuel prices will increase?

Petrol prices continue to rise (Updated – 31 March)

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petrol pump

Motorists should brace themselves for petrol prices up to $1.50 per litre.

Petrol prices have been steadily increasing in the last few weeks and are predicted to reach a two-year high of $1.50 per litre in the coming weeks.

Despite the high prices, research done by the NRMA have shown there are times during the week when petrol prices drop.  Saturday morning is the cheapest time to buy, and Monday afternoon is the most expensive.

Savings can be as high as 10c to 12c a litre between the most expensive and the cheapest, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on daily petrol prices and try to buy when prices are low.

UPDATE: Petrol prices are now heading for $2 a litre and families should start saving money now.

An NRMA BusinessWise analysis found $2 a litre would add almost $2500 to the annual petrol bill for a Toyota Hilux driver from Penrith to the CBD, and $2000 for a Ford Falcon driver. A Campbelltown family with a Holden Commodore Berlina would pay an extra $1700 and $2210 if they lived in Gosford (via Daily Telegraph).

How have the higher petrol prices changed your driving habits? Do you seek out the cheapest petrol prices or just fill up when you’re running low on fuel?

 

Unleaded petrol now phased out in 2012

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The NSW Government has recently extended the phase-out date of standard unleaded petrol (ULP) to 30 June 2012 (previously 30 June 2011).  This was in response to a possible shortage in supplies of ethanol.  This means that ULP may remain available well into 2012.

Before using E10, vehicle owners must check if an ethanol blend is suitable for their vehicle – this information can be found in the owner’s manual, by contacting NRMA Motoring Advice and on the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries website.

For cars that cannot use E10, premium-grade unleaded petrol without ethanol will continue to be available.

Our May 2010 blog post about unleaded petrol contained several comments that owners found their vehicle had much higher fuel consumption when using E10 compared with ULP.  If your vehicle is in good condition you should not experience much more than the theoretical 3% increase in fuel consumption.

However, if you try E10 and experience an unusually high impact on fuel consumption, here are some possible causes and things you can do about them:

  • Was there water in your fuel tank from earlier contaminated petrol?  If so, the E10 will take the water into solution and your car may run roughly until the first tank of E10 is used up.
  • Is your fuel filter clogged?  Ethanol is a powerful solvent and may loosen residues in your fuel system.  Try changing the fuel filter after the first couple of tanks of E10.
  • Is your ignition system in good condition?  A slightly misfiring spark plug may be exacerbated by E10 leading to a severe misfire and increase in fuel consumption.  If you feel your vehicle is running roughly, have your vehicle serviced if it has not been done recently.
  • Is there an engine check or warning light showing on your dash?  Your engine management system and fuel injection system need to be in good condition.  Modern vehicles are designed to monitor oxygen in the exhaust and should be able to adjust to E10.  However a malfunctioning oxygen sensor or other component may mean that your vehicle is not achieving this.  Have your vehicle serviced if it has not been done recently.

What has been your experience with using E10?  Does the extension of the phase-out date of ULP help you?

Unleaded to be phased out in 2011

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Many motorists are still unaware that 91 RON unleaded petrol is to be phased out in NSW by 1 July 2011. Its place will be taken by the existing E10 ethanol blend.

In February 2007, the State Government made several commitments “to promote renewable biofuels in New South Wales.” Part of that commitment was to introduce an E10 mandate, which implies that all regular unleaded petrol sold in NSW from 1 July 2011 will contain 10% ethanol – specifically, from that date, “a primary wholesaler must not sell regular unleaded petrol unless the petrol is E10.”

Many service stations across the state are already not selling 91 RON. Before using E10, vehicle owners must check if an ethanol blend is suitable for their vehicle – this information can be found in the owner’s manual, by contacting NRMA Motoring Advice or on the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries website.

For cars that cannot use E10, premium-grade unleaded petrol will continue to be available.

What are your thoughts on E10? Will you use E10 or switch to a premium-grade unleaded petrol?

Diesel – a greener fuel option?

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Since 1 January 2009, diesel fuel has had to meet strict fuel quality standards, now producing a significantly lower amount of sulphur than both ULP and PULP.

National fuel standards

National standards regulating fuels that impact the environment first came into effect in January 2002, brought in to reduce the amount of toxic pollutants in emissions.

Initially, diesel’s sulphur standard was set at 500 parts per million (ppm). As of 1 January 2009, this was reduced to a maximum of 10 ppm.

How does this compare?

From 1 January 2005, the maximum amount of sulphur ULP (91.0 RON) could contain was set at 150 ppm.

Since 1 January 2008, PULP’s (95.0 RON) maximum sulphur is 50 ppm.

Is it time diesel lost its ‘dirty’ reputation?

New generation turbo-diesels have particulate filters which further reduce the amount of particulate (soot) produced in the vehicle’s emissions. On top of that, these new generation diesels are proven to go further on less. For instance, BMW’s new diesel powered 1-series, on sale now, returns less than 5 litres per 100km and emits just 126g of CO2 per kilometer.

The first diesel-fuelled Subaru to be offered in Australia, the Subaru Outback, will be on sale in November this year, and diesel models of the 2010 Mazda CX-7, 2011 Ford Territory and Peugeot’s new 407 are all on the way. It is clear that more and more new car models are being offered with ‘clean’ diesel alternatives.

Coupled with the particulate filter and the new, stringent sulphur emission standards, diesel might just be a viable, greener fuel alternative.

Does diesel still have a ‘dirty’ reputation? Have you thought of diesel as a greener fuel option?

For the full list of diesel quality standards, visit The Federal Government’s Environment website.