My gasoline level indicator starts to blink red and the latest news about the price per barrel of petroleum products destabilizes and worries my tight-budgeted pocket. The nearest and luckily the cheapest gasoline station in our area announces 1.20€/liter for Unleaded 95 (my car) and 1.05€/liter for Diesel (frenchguy's car). Yep, that's $5.63/gallon or P313/liter for Unleaded 95 and $4.93/gallon or P274/liter for Diesel!
Like all other European countries, France is 100% pro-environment. That explains the astronomical prices being practiced here. Add to that the fact that they wanted to decrease their dependence on other countries on these products. In fact, 80% of the price I pay per liter of unleaded gasoline goes to taxes (~60% for tax on petroleum products + ~20% for VAT), imagine! All these just to dissuade the population from consuming...it's hard on the pocket, but could we really get by without it?
The soaring prices of petroleum products are due to 3 main factors: high demand of petroleum products worldwide, notably from China with their recent economic explosion, geopolitical tensions, and speculative buying from industrialized countries to constitute their stocks. With that, don't you think it's better to prepare ourselves for another exponential increase in the future?
In France, some agricultural fanatics and environmentalists start to deviate their solution to an environment-friendly solution by using vegetable oils (sunflower, colza, soya and olive oils) on their automobiles. They actually mix 30 - 50% of vegetable oils to gasoline, not a bad idea, that considerably decreases CO2 emission, mind you!
The only remarks is: Medyo amoy prito lang sa umpisa!
13 years ago
20 comments:
uy una ako!
ahh the never ending rise of oil prices! a lot of people are speculating that price per barrel will even reach 7- to 80 dollars so I guess we will n ot see the end of the increase in the near future...
wow! vegetable oil as a solution? I saw a reportage on france using solar powered autos but haven't heard that veggie alternative..
tama ka! amoy prito sa umpisa! malay mo... you can even fry your "baon" in the engine while driving... hihihi
Yes, American residents (including my husband!) need to stop moaning about gas prices. If we really wanted something to moan about we'd go to Europe, eh?
Ok, I'll stop complaining about Canadian gas prices now.
Presently in Ottawa, it's about 1.04$CAD per liter, which converts to roughly 3.30$USD per gallon for 87octane gasoline, if my math is correct (it probably isn't).
That seems ridiculously cheap now after this post.
hay, what can I say? kahit saan na yata tumaas ang presyo ng gas. hubby is spending $60 every week for gas which is ridiculous! well, what can he do? ang layo naman kasi ng driving niya going to work. [sigh]
Take care! =)
I was reading in CNN Money this same topic with a listing of different countries' avg gas price. Netherlands $6.48/gallon, France $5.54/gallon, Venezuela, $.12/gallon. Yup, that's 12 cents!
Read full story: http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/global_gasprices/
Analyse, such an apropos posting, can't help another comment:) good site to read more on this topic: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6948209/
hey girl! ako naman off topic ngayon... just wanted to ask what company you work for? I was chatting with my bf's mom and she was asking since she knows quite a number of people in Dijon and she was surprised to know that another pinoy lives there. Apparently, i'm the first one from the Philippines that they personally know.
and thanks for dropping by my page too and leaving a message! keep in touch!
tesa
Duke, try to google huile végétale carburant and you will find that you could actually use the same vegetable oil that you use for your salad hehe...c'est génial, non? They actually use it in their tractors but recently, some started to use it in their cars! They have solar-powered and electricity-powered cars already, but this one became a bit sensational coz it's really envi-friendly...and medyo bizaare nga naman..amoy french fries daw!
oh well, it's been quite a time na medyo yoyo yung prices (there's a gas station just nearby, so araw araw nakikita ko yung fluctuation!), and then, I just checked it this weekend coz I have to refill my car, ayun! kaloka!
TinTin, shhhh, when we were there last year, feeling namin ang yaman namin. Almost everything is cheaper! Kaya lang, US remains a big consumer of petroleum products, almost everybody has big cars there! 4x4s, etc...lakas magpump ng gasolina nyan! ..to think that you have wide roads compared to Europe. Oh well, it starts to be the mode here in France too...everybody's paranoid with their security!
Nao, hehe, badingski ka talaga, kakabaog ba? miss ko na yang term na yan!
Actually, the prices I gave are the cheapest here in Dijon kasi tipong your friendly next door gasoline station sya, no toilets, no services, wala lahat kaya mura..sa iba, the prices are 5 - 20 cents/liter higher! per litro!!! nakakabaog talaga!
Jeff, yer right! And France is not at all expensive compared to Northern Europe! I'm not even living in Paris, so imagine, I'm paying less!
Ligaya, that's one of the problem too. Buti na lang we bought a house 12km away from our workplace, medyo mahal nga lang coz we're still in the city center. Mas mura sana pag nasa suburbs kami. But with the increasing gas prices, real estate brokers predict an increasing demand of appts/houses in the city center to avoid paying too much on gas. They're encouraging the population to use bikes or just walk to go to their workplace kung di rin lang malayo...biruin mo, makikitid na nga kalsada dito, tapos they arrange it to give way to bikers pa, sobrang narrow na! Ma-traffic na tuloy!
Plain_Jane_Too , Venezuela has their own reserves of petroleum products and is even the biggest exporter of US (it's even the 3rd world leading exporter at one point, don't know if it's still the case today), that explains the price. How I wish we have the same in the Philippines! We have coal tho, but not old enough to be exploited, we cannot even use it to produce our own electricity!
Thanks for the links...will read them!
Hi Tesa, I'm working for Essilor Internationale here in Dijon. I've never met any pinoy during my almost 4 yrs existence here, so kung meron mang ibang pinoy, magaling silang magtago hehe. Each time I renew my visa, I check if there are other applicants in the Philippines folder, pero as usual, I'm the only one!
I know one pinay living in Nuit St George, haven't met her personally tho, just talked to her on the phone.
Hey, link kita ha..
Ana,
True kakaloka ang gas prices! Here in NL 1 liter is 1.43eu! (1.49eu for super plus). I think Netherlands is the second most expensive following Norway in the lead.
But gas prices are not the only thing we worry here. We also have the road tax which is being factored with what type of oil you use and weight of your car.
Aside from that, buying a new car is not cheap since you will be levied with taxes such as: 19.5% VAT which is standard + BPM CAR TAX which is about 45.2% of the total value of your car (this is one time fee) + other taxes for environment scrapping/registration/etc + and of course the yearly ROAD TAX.
There is a new discussion now of banning SUVs/Trucks or perhaps levying MORE taxes on these type of vehicles not only because of environment reasons but because of its size and effect during impact/accident. Studies show that a high % of casualties are with large type vehicle (because its big and deadlier on impact than a sedan). Plus they are not children, handicap and bike friendly. Its hard to see a dead corner with a huge vehicle too.
Oh well, gusto ko pa naman SUV haha. I think many are paranoid here, lol.
Jori, I just hope France will not follow your footsteps. That ROAD TAX is deadly! Anyways, they're raking a lot of money already with their autoroutes, so hopefully, they won't implement other measures to recover money from the people. Fed up with these tax collectors!
ok for tax increase on SUVs, dont like 'em hehe...
Michel said there was road tax before, 50euros/year depends on the car you got. then they took it off. But dont be happy he said to me,they took off the road tax but they tax people (in France) in another way.You never win in France. They try to let you believe they are generous.
The good thing today happened (with the tax office,) they sent by refund to Michel 30 euros and 49 euros(two checks sent via mail) as they took from Michel too much tax last year. Thats the only good thing they do.
In England, to drive your car in the city, they tax you. To avoid clogging the city, I suppose?
oh well, that's why they're tax collectors, right? the problem is that, the more you pay, the less you get from the govt as our less fortunate brothers should be the priority! principle of socialization! oh well, in the end, you'll get fed up paying!
and that principle extends even in private offices! imagine, when we bought a house, we normally could benefit from a 1%interest loan from our company...but we couldn't, it depends on the salary daw! so why the heck do we have to continue contributing?
another worry we have now is our reservation for the nursery nearby...naku, pag di pa ba naman kami makakuha dun, mag-i-strike na kami hehe...imagine, we don't even have the welcome incentive for our baby, depending on the salary na naman? so what the heck are we getting from the govt? aba, kung ganyan rin lang, di na sana ako nagwork!
Hey Analyze! Sure link me up and I'll link u too ha.
Yes I saw some Filipinos in Paris, and there are some in Publicis (ad agency).. my former boss was assigned there and there are other Pinoys daw.
In Dijon.. WALA akong nakita.. hehe Sa airport marami.. pero mga papuntang Netherlands!! haha
About life being 'slow'.. well as most people's comments go, it's always in comparison with something they've experienced and in my case, I grew up in HK and 20 years of living in such a fast-paced place makes my definition of slow: anything less than rushing. hehe so it doesn't apply to all.
But, as I always say, I appreciate every place for its own merit and I do love France and cant wait to go back next year!!
The reason I ask where you work is that my bf's mom was asking me.. kasi first time nila makameet ng Filipino so they are really curious and theyve been reading so much about it before I came to France. Sigh. I want to go back now now now!!!
So you and your husband are going to live there for good?
There's rising global demand, yes. There's China and don't forget that India's economy is booming too, well, I heard... These countries' demand for oil is moving up.
Olive oil? really? Dyosko, e di sya naman ang magmamahal? nyehehe... My 75 cl. Carapelli costs environ €5.50 already! hehe...
just can't complain, can't feel it (price hike) really... full tank costs me about €65 (I use Sans Plomb 95 too) and that usually lasts me 4 to 5 months! tipid, eh? I don't work, remember? so, I only use the car when I go shopping, taking kids to school, etc. I don't use it that much.
bises,
bokisky
Asphaire, thanks.
I was hiding in Dijon kasi when you came hehe..anyways, you must find everything slow here, except when they drive their car!
Oh well, I hope your beaux-parents will read good points about the Philippines and the Filipinos. In my (work) circle kasi, they already have a notion of the Pinoys and sometimes, nakakaasar, ya know, stereotyping! My beaux-parents learned about Pinoys thru frenchguys lang and of course, TV. But then, most of the TV programs being shown here about the Phils talks about terrorism, or political tensions, or smoky mountains, or poverty...nakakaasar lang!
Frenchguy and I are still thinking of expatriation if opportunities are tempting...
Boks, yeah, India's roaring too! And Pinas kasi, hanggang mahiyaing ngiyaw lang :(.
Hehe, yeah, olive oil! Anyways, I just use it for salads..hate ko sya pag cooked!
I guess I do refill every month, well I use it kasi everyday...sometimes frenchguy and I go to work together, but that presents more of a constraint than a solution for us, ya know, we have flexitime! So i prefer to use my own car....that way, I could do my gurl stuffs whenever i want hehe...
Bises!
hahaha, ana, baka eventaully nyan, di na kayo covered ng SSS ! Kasi considered "Bulle" na kayo ni Laurent, meaning you pay more than employees and can afford your own medical health finances, gaya ng mga Boss ko sa Monaco! Transparent card ang hawak ! Anyway, eskayted na ba sa baby?
Hi Ana,
Parang narinig ko na kaya daw tinaasan ang price ng gasolina dahil tinaasan din ng Saudi Arabia ang benta nila.
Well, kung pwede ang veg. oil baka pwede na rin ang tubig.
Hay naku Ate Amy, asar nga, e nasa middle class lang naman kami..they should review their cut off bareme no..SSS? e bihira rin naman naming magamit, like di kami pareho sakitin, buti na lang...hay naku, kaya ngayon at juntis ako, ayan, SSS is working for me, 100% reimbursable, makabawi man lang hehe..
eskayted na talaga, gusto ko maternity leave ko na...
Agring, sana nga para kukunin ko lang yung hose sa garden and then full tank na hehe...i guess there was something like that na lumabas one time sa pinas..mahanap nga sa net hehe..
yun na nga, we're at the suburbs pa naman. long driving doesn't matter kung sana lang di mahal ang gas. on the lighter note, mapapalapit na sa amin ang working place ni hubby. it's a lot closer to home starting Monday, just two miles away. What a relief! =)
Wow Ligaya, isn't that a good news / blessing? Grasya pa lumalapit sa inyo :)!
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