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seahorse
Senior Member
USA
1075 Posts |
 Posted - 02 August 2004 : 03:11:13
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OK, for the ignorant American moving to the UK. Can someone help me with the following questions?
Question 1: What is the difference between petrol and diesel in purchasing a car in the UK?
Question 2: How much does petrol/diesel cost?
Question 3: CO2 tax band? What is that?
Thanks for the help, folks.
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Ken
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Worldwide Partner Group
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pdrg
Support Moderator
United Kingdom
2897 Posts |
Posted - 02 August 2004 : 05:56:16
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1) diesel is slightly cheaper, not much, fuel will shock you price-wise here if you think $1/gallon is high - about 80p ($1.30) per LITRE (there's about 3.5 litres to a US Gallon, I think)
[edit - car purchase price, diesel slightly dearer, but it'll be a few percent difference]
2) oops, see above
3) bigger engine, more emissions, more tax. Actually the road tax isn't that painful when you consider how much you'll be spending on fuel. I think it'll be about £10/month-ish for you (payable annually), and the CO2 tax band thingy will just make a very minor difference to you.
hth
btw - get in touch when you get here and if you pop down to Oxford (All Americans must go to Oxford once in their lives, it's like Lourdes to Catholics), we can go out for a chat over a pie and a pint if you like :). Also, I am always happy to help with any of these little things - you can also feel free to contact me directly (Paddy at concurrency dot co dot uk) if I can help you out at all :) |
Edited by - pdrg on 02 August 2004 05:57:36 |
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DavidRhodes
Senior Member
United Kingdom
1222 Posts |
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seahorse
Senior Member
USA
1075 Posts |
Posted - 02 August 2004 : 10:51:21
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Thanks, David. The site was very helpful.
You know, I have a new appreciation for the State of California and the car friendly system that it has created. If you'd have told me that California was going to do or tax any of the things that they tax in the UK, I'd be organizing the angry mob that storms the capitol building. 
Someone from work told me that people in the UK pay $5.00 a gallon for gas and laughed. I guess he wasn't joking. |
Ken
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Worldwide Partner Group
Microsoft |
Edited by - seahorse on 02 August 2004 11:17:32 |
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stuF
Average Member
United Kingdom
561 Posts |
Posted - 02 August 2004 : 11:09:00
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Depending on the part of the coutry youre gonig ot live in, we do (despite the media convincing us otherwise) have decent public transport. If youre going to be living in a city, then you might find you dont really need a car.
Also worth noting. We have a bi-fuel, Gas and petrol car. They cost about £1200 extra or you can convert any car for around the same cost, but gas per litre is about the 32p per litre mark, making it less than half the cost of petrol - If youre going down this route thoug,h make sure you check the availability of service stations selling gas in your local area.
You'll get used to the way our tax system works, ifv you can look past the initial shock of the cost, its the best possible system.
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http://36-degrees.co.uk |
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seahorse
Senior Member
USA
1075 Posts |
Posted - 02 August 2004 : 11:35:03
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Actually, I get by with public transportation and a bicycle in Japan. After having been a driver since I was 16, I actually kind of like it. It's refreshingly different. I'll probably live longer becuase of it.
Don't know about the public transport to work though. I'll be on the outskirts of Manchester. The company offices are located on a former country estate or something like that. I'm told that they have a lake and herd of sheep on the grounds still.
Is the UK a two car family type of country? Environment and health stuff aside, financially I'd really would hate to have to get two cars immediately.
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Ken
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Worldwide Partner Group
Microsoft |
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pdrg
Support Moderator
United Kingdom
2897 Posts |
Posted - 02 August 2004 : 11:36:23
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StuF has a point, after all it's had years and years to evolve this system ;-)
But yep, most metropolitan areas have public transport like you wouldn't believe, and no matter how much the trains get knocked in this country 'why can't they run like on the european mainland?' etc, you will find they'll get you to london (or any other city) very quickly and easily compared with almost anywhere in the 'new world' (hey, I've been to a lot of new world, and the public transport really is abysmal compared to Europe...) |
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seahorse
Senior Member
USA
1075 Posts |
Posted - 02 August 2004 : 11:46:58
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Wish I could find that shot of the offices...
I'd be in Alderley Park, Macclesfield |
Ken
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Worldwide Partner Group
Microsoft |
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Hamlin
Advanced Member
United Kingdom
2386 Posts |
Posted - 02 August 2004 : 11:50:15
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Manchester has a good bus and tram system (£2 a week for my bus pass, £7 for the tram I think), though if your working outside of the city it may not be much use to you  The trams do go into parts of Greater Manchester but not all of them.
EDIT - As for two cars I suppose it depends, I hardly use my car at all in Manchester, but the further from the city you get the less convenient public transport becomes. |
Edited by - Hamlin on 02 August 2004 11:54:06 |
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seahorse
Senior Member
USA
1075 Posts |
Posted - 02 August 2004 : 12:15:13
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quote:
Originally posted by pdrg
btw - get in touch when you get here and if you pop down to Oxford (All Americans must go to Oxford once in their lives, it's like Lourdes to Catholics), we can go out for a chat over a pie and a pint if you like :). Also, I am always happy to help with any of these little things - you can also feel free to contact me directly (Paddy at concurrency dot co dot uk) if I can help you out at all :)
Thanks, Paddy. I may just do that once I get settled in and figure out where I'll be and Oxford is. |
Ken
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Worldwide Partner Group
Microsoft |
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DavidRhodes
Senior Member
United Kingdom
1222 Posts |
Posted - 02 August 2004 : 12:31:56
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quote:
Originally posted by seahorse
Someone from work told me that people in the UK pay $5.00 a gallon for gas and laughed. I guess he wasn't joking.
And going up all the time, $5 sounds about right, around 82p per litre for petrol.
I hope you don't smoke, the prices will kill you  |
The UK MkIVs Forum |
Edited by - DavidRhodes on 02 August 2004 12:34:32 |
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chumbawumba
Junior Member
United Kingdom
304 Posts |
Posted - 02 August 2004 : 13:57:48
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Typically the majority of cars on British roads are more economical than the big gas guzzlers in America, but the price of fuel here is extortionate.
You are going to have a lot of fun here in blighty and you'll be able to sample British culinary delights such as bacon butties, fish n chips, bread and butter pudding, spotted*****, Yorkshire puddings and curry. You can experience our archaic pub licensing hours, take part in binge drinking and puking in the streets without fear of repercussions.
Two things to remember though….. nothing gets a british dander up faster than "queue jumpers" and "gobby Americans". So watch out !
ps. Its always bloomin raining in macclesfield !
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stuF
Average Member
United Kingdom
561 Posts |
Posted - 02 August 2004 : 19:18:55
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quote:
Originally posted by chumbawumba
Typically the majority of cars on British roads are more economical than the big gas guzzlers in America, but the price of fuel here is extortionate.
You are going to have a lot of fun here in blighty and you'll be able to sample British culinary delights such as bacon butties, fish n chips, bread and butter pudding, spotted*****, Yorkshire puddings and curry. You can experience our archaic pub licensing hours, take part in binge drinking and puking in the streets without fear of repercussions.
Two things to remember though….. nothing gets a british dander up faster than "queue jumpers" and "gobby Americans". So watch out !
ps. Its always bloomin raining in macclesfield !
god, you really do paint a very bright picture of the biritsh culture! Britian has everything you would ever want, you just have to be willing to look for it! |
http://36-degrees.co.uk |
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seahorse
Senior Member
USA
1075 Posts |
Posted - 02 August 2004 : 20:11:11
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quote:
Originally posted by DavidRhodes
I hope you don't smoke, the prices will kill you
Never took up the habit. I'd probably be complaining about the taxes on it if I did wouldn't I?
Very bad habit actually. I work on a lung cancer drug and what you learn is very sobering. The only way you really get lung cancer is smoking. |
Ken
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Worldwide Partner Group
Microsoft |
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pdrg
Support Moderator
United Kingdom
2897 Posts |
Posted - 03 August 2004 : 11:38:01
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[:|]
I guess this http://www.astrazeneca.co.uk/aboutus/alderleypark/index.asp is your place then - nice
Likely there will be some kind of shuttle bus system to the site and back - very common for business parks like this.
If you draw a straight line from Manchester to London, Oxford is on it, toward the London end - you'll love it, plenty of pre-America buildings etc. And one thing we do have a lot of (and I missed on my travels around the world) is culture, with plenty of mainland influences, so a really rich mix!
Other things that will stagger you are eating-out prices. High, with smaller portions than in USA. That said, when I was in Seattle, I was only able to find huge portions of very poor food (my best meal was on the flight home!), so I couldn't finish any of them from size or taste . I do have fine tastes for food, so maybe set my standards a bit high, but you may develop a similar taste of your own . And coffee bars are everywhere, but try popping into a 'greasy spoon cafe' (an old-style british one) for a REAL cup of tea - so strong you can stand a mouse on it 
Either way, I think you'll have a great time, and as you're obviously a travelled gentleman, I hope you come and enjoy all the best bits of what we can offer!!! |
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Panhandler
Average Member
USA
783 Posts |
Posted - 03 August 2004 : 15:05:41
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quote:
Originally posted by pdrg
hey, I've been to a lot of new world, and the public transport really is abysmal compared to Europe...)
We took carry-on luggage and rode the trains in Italy two years ago and loved it! The train system is great.
America doesn't even come close - our public transport system really is abysmal compared to Europe. (our public transport system is the highway system, and the automobile is our ticket)
Sorry about your poor cuisine experience in Seattle. American food is the hot dog, the hamburger and the Philly Cheese Steak Hoagie.
None of which we eat here in Gig Harbor (southwest of Seattle by about 80km.)
Had you visited here, we might have smoked a salmon on a cedar plank over an open fire, the way the Indians use to do it. Probably not to the liking of you're refined British palette though. . . .
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