no more red diesel???

Birdseye

Birdseye

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A friend told me last weekend about a change in EC energy regulations which means that the UK derogation on red diesel for pleasure boats will have to be re-applied for and agreed by the comission and the council in 2006. A dodgy situation if correct, since it will be hard, politically, to justify cheap red diesel for the owner of a 50ft Princess in a Hamble marina, whilst continuing to deny it to the district nurse or the haulage industry.

Does anyone know if this is correct? If so, what effect do you think that 70p/litre diesel will have on the motorboat industry?


Note: EC law requires all fuel for pleasure boats to be taxed as for road fuel - we have a derogation not to do so.

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Look. They do that every five years. So far it's been ok. Dont cause a panick.

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn
 
moe importantly what effect do YOU think 70p (or less) per litre for vehicles would have on the exchequer?

no one's going to shift it for the sake of it and they have more to loose than win by bringing fuel prices into line with the EU across the board

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sunflower/vegetable oil bought in bulk and mixed with a quarter to a third kerosine or 28sec heating oil makes a good gas oil substitute, low exhaust emissions,lubricates injection pump better than low sulphur diesel,is sustainable one drawback is the smell from the exhaust will put you off fish n chips for life!!

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How do a put a sloop rig on a broom 38?



<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.boating-ads.co.uk> Boating Website</A>
 
thats the whole point hlb - hitherto, its gone by default so i am told. no application = continuation. now the system is changing and the uk govt not only has to apply but has to convince the council and commission. ie no application = end of derogation

just how hard do you think they will try?

but perhaps more to the point, does anyone on the forum (which is anonymous) have real inside info?

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So no big deal, we'll just hire a large tanker and fill up in the CIs at 20p per litre. Red diesel won't go there as not part of EU. I bet someone will be up for this.

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Well I think you are right to remind people, it is no good making a boat buying decision and crying about it afterwards because you claimed nobody ever mentioned it to you. 'You pay your money and take your chance' There are fantastic bargains out there for petrol boats, although we have already discussed the pro's and con's a few times on here. What do you think the impact on petrol and diesel boat prices would be if they did increase the diesel prices?

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>
 
Well I for one will have to give up my boat! along I suspect with many others. This means the bottom will drop out of the second hand boat market and in turn will affect purchases of new vessels. In short, a total nightmare for the boating industry in this country!
The thing that really bugs me is that I believe even in France and Spain where you have to pay all the duty on diesel it is only about £2.30. a gallon. but here it would be the same price as on the forecourt! i.e. £4.50. and rising!

Barry


<hr width=100% size=1>I just want to retire with my boat to the Med!
 
Re:nothing will change.

titchy little boats will have unreliable fuel guzzling shagged after 5 mins petrols and bigger boats will have economical diesels.Doubt anybody buys big diesel boat only cos the fuel is cheap.Happiness is the Throbby throb of a big green chunk of cast iron.

<hr width=100% size=1>If it aint broke fix it till it is.
 
Why you give up on diesel boat good sir .The fuel bill is tiny compared to marina/insurance/maintaince/gadgets and financing the perishing thing./forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>If it aint broke fix it till it is.
 
yeah and Domonic will prime it with S*****N /forums/images/icons/smile.gif so it keeps nice

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mssa.org.uk>http://www.mssa.org.uk</A> Marine Service Standards Assistance
 
Don\'t panic - yet.

Hi Birdseye

This is all part of an Euro-wide energy policy designed to bring all fuel costs up to the same level, to make business costs equal across the EU. It is being challenged by the UK government, as they earn huge revenues from road fuel, and would be reluctant to reduce the price of it to bring us into line with the rest of Europe. Along with four other European countries, (Belgium, Ireland etc) low duty fuel is extended to leisure boaters, but the main customers for it are our merchant and fishing fleets. The amount the leisure market takes is minute in the grand plan.

An experiment with high-duty leisure diesel in an American state went horribly wrong. Suppliers suddenly realised they would have to fit two tanks, one for 'blue' leisure diesel, and one for 'red' commercial diesel. They simply stocked their best seller instead - red diesel - and the leisure users found they couldn't refuel. As these users were mostly successful businessmen, they lobbied hard, and the law was reversed. The same would probably happen here. It just wasn't worth the hassle for the comparitively small tax that would be generated. Any other system would also need to be policed and inspected (eg Red for all, but at a higher rate for leisure users.)

The RYA are monitoring the case, but we've been told not to panic.

As PBO will be featuring an increasing amount of motorboating, we'll keep abreast of events as they unfold.

Even if prices do eventually go 'Euro-wide' remember that the average motorboat runs for 70 hours a year, and not always at full power, so if you do some number crunching, it may not be quite so scary as we think. The UK would be forced to drop it's road fuel levies, so what you spend extra on your boat, you'll probably claw back from your car! Or lorry....

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