zlacker

>>Techno+(OP)
Decisions about fuel purchases are often irrational, much like many food purchases or generic medicines.

I know someone who avoids their local petrol station that is 10p/litre cheaper than most others nearby (within a mile or so) as they think the cheaper fuel must be lower quality. There are weird status things going on with purchases like this.

Only the other day my father refused to buy some branded paracetamol because it was ~5 times more expensive than the local pharmacy brand that was out of stock. (£2.25 vs £0.49 for 16 500mg tablets.) I'd usually agree with him but he was out of paracetamol and has been advised by his doctor to take 2x500mg a day and there was no viable nearby alternative.

A digression but for that generation (those born in 1940s/50s) that grew up with rationing I think it is hardwired into their brain to try and minimise the cost of so many things, but with lots of random exceptions. Later on that day he ordered an extra drink but decided he was too full once it had arrived so he left it. So he was worried about spending an extra £1.76 on paracetamol but not about spending £7 on a pint he didn't drink.

Many people decide what petrol station to use based on simply how close it is, what kind of shop is attached to it (and the bits of British snobbery around that), whether it also sells whatever else they want (bread, milk, beer, etc), or even whether it is easy to drive in and out of.

>>alexfo+HI1
On the topic of fuel, it's funny when people only put in £10 worth of fuel a time.

You spend more in by fuel driving there more often. As well as wasting your own time.

>>thegle+9D4
I put in £3 worth of fuel the other day but that's because it was a rental car that I had to return with the same fuel level as at pickup and I'd only done ~30 miles with lots of stop/start. (I would have used a Zipcar/Zipvan but they've all gone now.) I would have tried to put in less but UK fuel pumps usually mandate a minimum of 2 litres which is not far off £3 at current prices.

>>alexfo+Ja5
> usually mandate a minimum of 2 litres

Out of curiosity how does that work (never been in a situation where I have to worry about minimal fuel purchases) - does the pump simply round up the price to the minimum when done, or did you actually have to dispense extra fuel, either into a jerrycan or donating it to someone else's car otherwise the pump would not actually finalize the transaction?

>>Nextgr+DH5
It's mandated by a sticker saying so. I don't think it's ever enforced.

A google seems to show that it is because the pumps are not certified to be accurate below 2 litres (or 5 litres for higher flow rate pumps like the HGV diesel pumps) so anything below this is at your own risk.

Another way of thinking about it is you have no right to complain if you think you've been short fueled if you don't dispense the minimum stated.

>>alexfo+PQ5
Exactly this, it's a legal requirement to show that under the weights and measures act I think.

Under that amount, you are likely paying much more per litre.