- Published
Businesses across the West of England say they are struggling to make a profit as petrol prices soar to nearly £2 per litre.
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prices → publish → litre
Disruptions around critical shipping lanes like the Strait of Hormuz have tightened global oil supplies amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
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Disruptions → tighten → East
Retailers facing higher wholesale prices for fuel deliveries are given the choice of passing this increase onto the customer, or forfeiting their profitable margins.
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Retailers → face → margins
Pieter-Jon Allis, owner of Stroud Taxi in Gloucestershire, said he faced "continual pressure to lowball" his prices in order to retain customers and still stay afloat.
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he → say → customers
More from Bristol
Petrol prices across the region vary, but rural areas are more expensive due to higher transport costs, lower sales volumes, and a lack of local competition.
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areas → vary → competition
Filling up your tank in Bristol would currently set you back an average of £1.70 per litre, while some petrol stations in Hullavington in Wiltshire are charging £2.40.
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stations → fill → 2.40
Elsewhere, a petrol station in Upton Noble, Somerset, has increased their prices to £1.86, and another near Whaddon will cost you £1.96 per litre.
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another → increase → litre
I think we're headed for pretty tough times ahead," Allis said.
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Allis → think → times
He added at least 50% of the calls he receives are requests for quotes, as customers compare his pricing with other services, such as Uber.
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customers → add → Uber
"We're under a continual pressure to lowball ourselves and do prices we were doing 15 years ago, even though fuel prices are at an all time high," he said.
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he → lowball → high
Susannah Moffat, who runs Ledbury Road Services in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, said "the last thing we want is to lose more trade" by putting the prices up.
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we → run → prices
"The only thing we can do is keep cutting our margin, time and time again, to try and keep the price increases to a minimum," she said.
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she → do → minimum
Moffat said the petrol station was now "relying" on income from shop sales instead.
"
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station → say → sales
Seems like there's no end in sight really, but hopefully it won't be forever," she added.
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she → seem → sight
Meanwhile, volunteer blood bike charity Freewheelers, which supports the NHS by delivering lifesaving medical products, said they are "sucking up the impact in our reserves".
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they → support → reserves
The organisation covers an operational distance of more than 220,000 miles per year across Bristol, Somerset, Bath and west Wiltshire.
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organisation → cover → Bristol
"We've spent £17,000 on fuel per year over the last couple of years," said Chris MacDonald, chair of the Bristol branch.
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MacDonald → spend → branch
"This current year it's heading towards £22,000, so it's a significant jump."
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it → head → 22,000
The charity relies solely on public fundraising, and said if fuel prices continue to rise, they would have to reduce the number of "low priority" callouts.
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they → rely → callouts
We can sustain the current situation for a while by digging into our reserves," MacDonald assured.
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MacDonald → sustain → reserves
The Aporia
