Why does diesel cost so much more than petrol?

Question

didn't it used to be cheaper.

Answer 1

More demand for Diesel, with large trucks, and cost to produce is more.

But techincally it doesn't cost more as Diesel cars use 3 times less fuel than petrol.

Cheers

~Peter~

Answer 2

Isn't it funny what short memories people have: Diesel was always cheaper than petrol - it's less refined & therefore cheaper to produce.

It's inflated price now is due to the fact that diesel cars are more popular, and more numerous in the UK than petrols in terms of new car sales (especially company vehicles), and all road haulage uses diesel, so the government have capitalised by conning the diesel buying public and raising prices - no matter how it's dressed up, it's supply & demand, nothing to do with mileage, use of resources, etc.

Red diesel, ie that for none road & agricultural use, is still around 70p per litre from your local fuel supplier, purely because it doesn't attract road fuel duty.

Answer 3

Because the refinaries have failed to increase production in line with the unpresidented increase in the demand for diesel powered vehicles. There is no doubt that diesel was substantially cheaper than petrol some two/three years ago but until the recent upsurge in prices they were about level.

Answer 4

I don't remember it being cheaper, but isn't because you get more miles to the gallon with diesel?

Answer 5

government stealth tax! i'm sure i heard somewhere that diesel is a by product of refind petrol so it's hardly production costs.

Answer 6

It takes more oil to make diesel than it does gasoline. Plane and simple.

Answer 7

Diesel is more expensive because diesels use less. Our wonderful government decided to increase the price of diesel to make the fuel costs the same as petrol cars. Or am I just being cynical about our unelected leader.

Answer 8

Diesel has more energy than petrol. Diesel was always expensive.

Answer 9

higher demand...

Answer 10

i'm confused about this too,

i bet there are still more petrol cars around and they need more petrol so petrol is in higher demand,

diesal and petrol are made in exactly the same way,

so production is the same

and the europeans have cheaper diesal,

maybe it's because the government realised that we could go further on diesal and we bought less of it that we would petrol if we had a petrol car, so they thought they could tax it more....

just a thought...

p.s. don't listen to 99% of the comments above, they are a load of....poo

Answer 11

Chinese government is preparing for the Olympics and they are buying enormous  quantities of diesel for their aggregates in case of electrical power shortages. This is one of the main reasons.

Answer 12

Used to be but demand is now higher combined coupled with lack of diesel refinery capacities has driven prices higher.

Answer 13

Because George Bush Is a Very Greedy b*****d

Answer 14

not as far as i can remember.plus it burns a lot less slower so you get more miles to the gallon than you would for petrol :-)

Answer 15

Because Europeans are using more fuel oil for heating etc

Answer 16

many many moons ago petrol was cheaper than diesel. the goverment went on a crusade to get people to buy diesel engine motors as "it is more environmentally friendly" so a lot of people listend to them. a few years later HEY PRESTO "diesel is more harmful so lets tax the bo****ks off the diesel drivers more than petrol drivers " as there is more of them