Garages forced to ‘play it by ear’ as prices rise
Gas stations in Guernsey are ‘playing by ear’ as the US-Israeli war with Iran drives up fuel prices globally after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, which is a busy oil shipping route.
Motorists told the BBC that fuel prices were affecting them.
Vale and Cobo service station manager Mike Lucas said: “Like all of us, we don’t know how far this is going to go. We’re playing it by ear.”
He said his supplier held a significant amount of stock “so they could keep prices quite competitive”, while some garages had “big increases because they were getting day-to-day price changes”.
Petrol currently costs between £1.57 per liter and £1.73 and diesel can cost motorists between £1.60 and £1.82 per liter, according to research by BBC Guernsey.
Lucas said his garage typically receives price increases once a week, on Fridays.
It has just had a 3p price increase, which is “the biggest we’ve seen in this situation – I hope there won’t be more this week”.
Lucas added: “Our volumes haven’t really fallen with the price rise – people still need fuel.
“Of course it worries us.”
“If prices go stupidly high, then people will just leave their cars at home and walk, bike, take the bus or whatever.”
Paul Cunningham said he was considering using the bus instead [Macey Turner/ BBC]
Motorists in St Peter Port said prices were affecting their transport decisions.
Paul Cunningham, who drives a petrol vehicle, said: “I was actually going to fill up earlier today, and I saw the price was 1.70 at the Co-op, so I gave up and am using my car less.”
“Ultimately we’ll have to move around. We’ll have to think about buses and stuff.
“I have two young children I have to drive with, so it might be finding bus routes or investing in a cargo bike.”
Joe Thornborough, 73, who drives a hybrid vehicle, said: “I definitely don’t do as many trips as I used to because of it.”
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