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Anger in the Isles at Pounds -1-a-Litre Petrol UK Average Price Reaches 88p but Remote Areas Pay Over the Odds

Posted on: Saturday, 16 July 2005, 12:00 CDT

MOTORISTS on some Scottish islands are now regularly paying more than pounds -1 a litre for petrol.

A study revealed yesterday that the average UK price reached 88.1p per litre this week. However, people living in remote areas in Scotland - including the Western Isles - are being forced to pay the equivalent of more than pounds -4.50 per gallon.

The pounds -1-plus litre was not going down well across the Minch yesterday.

Campbell's Filling Station at Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis, was charging pounds -1.09 for unleaded petrol and 1p more for diesel.

Prices in Benbecula reached pounds -1.028 for unleaded petrol and pounds -1.038 for diesel, with similar levels on Barra.

Ardhasaig Filling Station on the Isle of Harris was charging pounds -1.018 for diesel and 96.9p for unleaded petrol.

Ronald MacKinnon, councillor for Locheynort in South Uist, said he was not surprised at the soaring cost of petrol across the UK, because islanders had paid over the odds for years.

He said: "It was just under pounds -1 a litre here last week so if it has gone up on the mainland it will definitely go up here.

"But that has always been the case in the Western Isles, we have always been paying through the nose.

"We have been highlighting this for years, but it is only when it affects the mainland that people take notice. When it is on their own doorstep and they are paying over pounds -1 a litre, people think it is a disaster."

A spokesman for Western Isles Council added: "The council has been living with this problem for many years.

High fuel prices have a detrimental effect on island life. It hits those trying to develop tourism in the islands as well as those who have non-tourist businesses.

"Quite simply it is a tax on living in the islands and that tax has just increased significantly."

Chris and Marion Clark should have been charging more than pounds -1 per litre for unleaded and diesel at their pumps on the Orkney island of Rousay for the past year.

But yesterday motorists were paying just 98p a litre for petrol and 99p for diesel. They felt that they could not charge the 250 islanders the true cost, so decided to subsidise their fuel prices with what they make in their shop.

"Basically we dropped our margin from 12.5% to 10% on fuel. We try to be fair and give the heavy users such as the contractors on the island a further discount, otherwise the cost just gets added to the cost of the job, " Mr Clark said.

On Colonsay, the 134 islanders have had to bear the unsubsidised prices for about a year, as Keith Rutherford who runs the local post office knows well.

He used to sell the fuel but it has now been taken over by the Colonsay Community Development Company.

"The price today is pounds -1.15 a litre for unleaded and diesel.

That is since we had the delivery last week. Before that, it was pounds -1.07, and had been for about six months. It has been over a pounds -1 a litre for a year or so."

There is no public transport on Colonsay so people have to rely on their own vehicles. But then again there is only about 15 miles of metal road."

The AA Motoring Trust study found that across the UK petrol averaged 88.1p pence per litre on Monday, with diesel costing 92.2p per litre.

In January, petrol averaged 79.6p per litre while diesel averaged 84.8p.

The 8.5p per litre difference between January and current prices means that UK motorists are now spending a total of an extra pounds - 6.21m on petrol per day.

A spokeswoman for the trust said: "Unfortunately for people in remote areas they have to pay more because it costs more to deliver fuel to their areas."

SKY HIGH UK

Average price 88.1p

Colonsay 115p

Lewis 109p

Coll 105p

Tiree 103.5p

Benbecula 102.8p

Rousay 98p

Harris 96.9p

Source: Herald, The; Glasgow (UK)

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