Safe Speed Forums

Mole: have you calibrated your mpg measuring device? (Not that it affects the general principle)

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

Not in any meaningful sense. I've brimmed the tank and then re-filled having noted the mileage. I've done this on more than one make of diesel MPV and on more than one occasion though. They typically agree to within a couple of MPG at most - usually less than 1MPG, but that's over a tankful. Whether they're at all accurate at very low speeds is a different matter - but I'm only using it as a back-to-back comparison. I'd expect other types of car (with less frontal area) to maybe show best MPG at higher speeds, but I have been generally surprised just how slow I have to go to make a modern diesel thirstier. That said, these are CONSTANT speeds. In "real life" stop-start traffic (even if the AVERAGE speed is 20), things get a whole lot worse because I'm accelerating 2 tons up to 20 repeatedly.

Hypermiling is a bit of an art that we could acquire. 20MPH would be a nuisance, but 40MPH is almost respectable, and 50 should not really bother anyone too much. Combine that with minimum braking, languid acceleration, predictive driving, careful use of the clutch and gears, and keeping the revs in the sweet spot. I reckon you could save about 20% like that.

Use of cooking oil (@ 80P per litre in bulk) mixed with bio-diesel (113p) can knock another (say) 35% off. If you start with a diesel that does 60 mpg nominally, you can get the equivalent of 100mpg pretty easily. The cooking oil may knock the pumps about - so it's best to try it on a wreck. I even burned my engine oil, cooking oil, biodiesel, rape-seed oil, real diesel etc. I draw the line at lard, though. That's why they call me "billyfat".

It just rubs me up the wrong way being forced to jump through all sorts of hoops in order to save a bit on fuel, besides having to pay more for goods and services (which are also dependent on fuel costs) when the government takes so much of it in tax, plus tax on tax.
When we complain, we are informed that fuel prices are not excessive when compared to the rest of Europe, but neglecting to mention that European fuel prices are far and away the highest in the world.

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Only when ideology, prejudice and dogma are set aside does the truth emerge - Kepler

I'd tax those bankers more. They've got plenty.

Unfortunately, as the pre-Thatcher governments found out to their cost, it's counter-productive to tax anyone who can afford a one-way plane ticket.

Having said that, it's generally counter-productive to tax anyone too much, as you end up with less tax-take than you would have.

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Only when ideology, prejudice and dogma are set aside does the truth emerge - Kepler

Yes, when the 1974-79 Labour Government had a maximum income tax rate of 98%, it was amazing just how little income actually fell within that band.

It's widely reckoned that even the current 50% tax band is counter-productive in terms of the amount of revenue raised.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

And having a chancellor who is an avid tax-avoider does not help.
The only tax rate that is acceptable to those who are not taxed at
source would be zero. Those who earn enough to have to pay 50%
usually do not pay it, or anything near it. Tax avoidance costs this
country dearly, to the tune of many billions. And that does not include
tax evasion.

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

Tax avoidance cost nothing. It is the legally allowed way of arranging your affairs to minimise the tax you have to pay. Does anyone volunteer to pay more tax than they have to? If the Government think taxation is insufficient then they should amend the law to ensure that the desired amounts are due. It's not my problem that the tax laws are so complex.

Do not confuse this with deliberate tax evasion which is illegal.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

Then you'll have to continue paying a lot yourself, or cut your duty by using less taxable fuel. I've burned so much crappy fuel, now my car needs ether to start it up. I've rigged it up with a pipe, so I can inject the ether from the driving seat. I want to use heating oil; it's not legal - but it's cheap, which counts for a lot.

Running on rebated fuel.
Standard penalty: Vehicle impound, 300+ fine. If running
on fuel with the red removed you'll lose the vehicle.
Not worth it from my viewpoint. In any case, the eu is moaning
about low-tax fuel so the tax on red is going up faster than road
fuel. It's high sulphur as well.

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing