Petrol prices defy ‘rip-off’
Republic tag
 By Niamh
Hennessy
VISITORS to Ireland may be used to forking out mega bucks for most things.
But when it comes to petrol they’ll be in for a big shock as Ireland
turns from ‘Rip-Off’ to ‘Bargain Basket’ when
it come to buying fuel.
Visitors will be shocked to discover that petrol prices are far cheaper
in Ireland than they are in Britain.
Sinéad Whelan recently visited her family in Kerry and said she
couldn’t believe the price difference in petrol between her home
in Leeds and in the Kingdom.
She said: “I was shocked when I saw the price of petrol in Ireland.
I am used to paying a fortune for things when I go back to visit my family
but when it comes to petrol prices it’s a different story.
She added: “People always say that Ireland is the ‘Rip Off
Republic’ but that doesn’t seem to be the case when it comes
to petrol prices.”
Conor Faughnan from AA Roadwatch said the short answer as to why there
was such a price difference is tax.
He said: “There is a lot more tax taken from fuel in Britain than
there is in Ireland. Prices are very similar across Europe before tax
is added.”
Simon Dempsey from Cardiff said he usually travels to Ireland by ferry
and will wait until he gets to Rosslare before he fills his tank up.
He said: “I always get my petrol in Ireland if at all possible as
I feel like I’m getting a bargain.”
The petrol market has opened up significantly in recent years with the
launch of Tesco petrol stations, which now hold 5 per cent of the Irish
petrol market.
Tesco is offering Irish consumers cheaper petrol just like many supermarkets
already do in Britain.
According to the Consumer Association this has meant even lower prices
for people in Ireland and they also urge people to shop around for petrol,
in both Ireland and Britain.
How Irish petrol prices compare
| Country |
Unleaded |
Diesel |
| Britain |
90p |
94p |
| Northern Ireland |
92p |
96p |
| Ireland |
71p |
70p |
| USA |
53p |
58p |
.
|
