We must not lose diesel suppliers

I DO understand that supplying red diesel from the bank side has its drawbacks but I believe not supplying it from the bank side will have more drawbacks, write Maffi.

I currently buy my fuel, coal and gas from Dusty on the Oxford Canal. I do this for a couple of reasons the main being that to source it cheaper elsewhere would involve me going to get it from across the other side of Oxford. That uses about 3/4litres of petrol and I have to do the humping as well at both ends. Dusty includes this in his ‘to your door' price. Secondly if we fail to support our boat traders we will lose them.

On my travels

But I shall soon be off on my travels again. If I can't buy my red diesel from a boat yard then why should I stop there? If I don't bother to stop at a boatyard then how much will boat yards lose in income because I don't pick up boat bits, oil, stern tube grease, fan belt, filters etc. All of these things I can get at a motor factors, and probably cheaper than at a boat yard. I want to support waterside traders but why should I if they don't put themselves out for me

The APCO is a trade organisation. It should be looking after its members needs. It should be standing toe to toe with HMRC to make this system easier to administer.

Making it easier

While I would agree that the regulations are complex, I cannot believe that there isn't someone out there that couldn't write an EXCEL page to make the job of reporting the tax due easier. We live in the age of the computer if you can imagine it, it can be done.

Let us not forget if I calculate that my usage is 90/10 80/20 or even 50/50 and the boat yard only lets me have fuel at 60/40, for which I have to sign a declaration, then he is coercing me into making a false declaration. Is this not against the law?

(Maffi is well known to many and to us so we allow the name.)