EDITORIAL: Are petrol stations in Tipperary price gouging and fleecing customers?

This week we received this Letter to the Editor and it raises some interesting questions around fuel prices in general between towns in the Premier County.

The letter stated: “The people of Clonmel town seem to be out of luck when it comes to getting a good deal for car fuel.

“Travelling west from Clonmel lower prices for both petrol and diesel can be found in Cahir, Bansha and in all the filling stations in Tipperary Town to name but a few.

“These same brand retail outlets that operate in Tipperary and Limerick towns also supply Clonmel fuel but it would seem at higher prices.

“A trip to Tralee in Kerry reveals an even more competitive fuel price offering with a price of 163 cents for petrol compared with the best offering in Clonmel this week of 166 cents. The same gap for diesel.

“I would not be writing to highlight the issue if this was a once off, however this is a constant situation.

“A few questions spring to mind such as why can’t even one Clonmel petrol/diesel outlet match the price being offered outside Clonmel by even the same brand. A second question is why are the good people of Clonmel always paying higher prices?

“In these difficult days the most competitive price offering must and should be available in this town.

“Maybe by highlighting this problem in your paper a solution could be found.”

This reader raises some very interesting points and his missive reveals the lack of transparency around how stations arrive at their prices.

Many places in other counties do big promotional sales of diesel and petrol. But then the price shoots back up again a few days later.

The fuel industry constantly bemoans the high taxes they pay on all the fuel they sell and that’s often the reason given for the high fuel prices but the variation in prices exposes an ugly truth - many places are price gouging and are fleecing customers because they can!