Petrol price a puzzle

CALL me simple if you like, but how can the price of petrol/diesel be displayed/ charged in a non-existent currency – for example £1.31.9?

I always thought the lowest denomination coin since decimalisation was 1p? How do the petrol companies get away with this?

Barbara Hudson, Eastfield Crescent, York.

Comments(8)

Thisisnotasmile says...
9:16am Thu 6 Dec 12

Per litre. You don't often buy just one litre of petrol.

Buzz Light-year says...
1:02pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Thisisnotasmile wrote:
Per litre. You don't often buy just one litre of petrol.
You can't buy just one litre. Garages usually have a minimum fill.

bolero says...
2:24pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Sorry, but I will have to call you simple. 10litres x .1p = 1 whole pence; Oh forget it. Can't remember buying just one litre.

Ichabod76 says...
4:30pm Thu 6 Dec 12

bolero wrote:
Sorry, but I will have to call you simple. 10litres x .1p = 1 whole pence; Oh forget it. Can't remember buying just one litre.
So you buy 15 litres at £1.31.9 for £19.78.5
do they round it up or down ?

bolero says...
4:45pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Ichabod76 wrote:
bolero wrote:
Sorry, but I will have to call you simple. 10litres x .1p = 1 whole pence; Oh forget it. Can't remember buying just one litre.
So you buy 15 litres at £1.31.9 for £19.78.5
do they round it up or down ?
Er! I usually find it's rounded up.I don't know about you.

Buzz Light-year says...
5:59pm Thu 6 Dec 12

Don't people buy fuel by the £ ?
As in just putting a tenner's worth in.
So then it's the quantity in litres that has to be split to thousandths, which is no biggie what with grammes and all.

Where has the author seen these prices?

Ichabod76 says...
2:48pm Fri 7 Dec 12

The point I was trying to make (badly) was as Buzz says people buy fuel by the £, when i fill up I always end on a whole pound not a whole litre

that said the real scam is selling fuel by volume when it should be sold by weight as it expands and contracts with temperature

Tim Cronin says...
11:15am Wed 12 Dec 12

I'm a driver, but the rising cost of fuel prices doesn't bother me as I always put £10 worth in my tank.

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