Member of Parliament for East Yorkshire Greg Knight is callling on
the Government to ‘look carefully’ at the damage being caused by
high fuel prices and to scrap the planned fuel duty rise scheduled
for August this year.

Mr Knight said: ‘Fuel prices have hit record levels and the UK now
has the most expensive diesel in Europe.

He added: “High fuel prices hurt everyone, not just motorists. The
increasing cost of moving people and goods around the country
means more expensive goods and services, less money in our
wallets and a slowing of economic growth.”

Mr Knight added: “People in rural areas like East Yorkshire, where the
car is not a luxury, but a necessity, are the hardest hit by the
skyrocketing price of fuel. Almost everything is a car journey in
rural areas; the shops, the schools, the doctors and getting to work.
Often there is no alternative of using public transport.”

Referring to the Chancellors previous freeze on fuel duty, Mr Knight
said: “The present Government has done its bit since 2010 to put a
lid on the cost of motoring and our fuel tax is currently 10 pence
lower than it would have been without the intervention of the
Chancellor. When Mr Osborne next reviews our tax levels, the
rising cost of oil should be in the forefront of his mind.”

Mr Knight praised FairFuelUK and the Countryside Alliance who
have just revealed figures showing that as well as people having to
travel further in rural areas, they also pay more for their fuel per
litre.

The MP also criticised some garages for putting up pump prices by
more than was necessary.

East Yorkshire MP Greg Knight is one of a number of MPs sponsoring a Parliamentary motion calling for an end to ‘stratospheric interest rates’ on short term loans.

The motion notes that an organisation called wonga.com currently advertises a ‘typical interest rate of 4,214%’. It says that whilst all financial institutions have the right to make a profit, many companies involved in short term lending are; ‘adding to poor families’ financial problems’ and that sensible restrictions on interest rate levels should be introduced.

Mr Knight said, “Short term money lenders can provide a useful service. However, their customers are frequently the most economically vulnerable in society and therefore action needs to be taken to stop four figure interest rate charges”.

Mr Knight added, “As things currently stand many of these services are nothing short of legalised-theft. If the industry does not reform its practice itself then the Government should step in with regulation. In the meantime my advice to consumers is check the APR”.

Greg Knight, Member of Parliament for East Yorkshire is sponsoring a cross-party Commons motion calling for an end to the motorway fuel rip-off.

A study by WhatCar magazine has revealed that fuel prices on motorways are ‘up to 7.4% higher than the national average’ with some retailers exploiting the lack of competition, lack of information and a captive market.

Mr Knight said, “Motorists should not be ripped-off in this way. It has not been suggested that it costs more to sell fuel beside motorways. It therefore it is not justified or fair that when the motorist has no choice where to buy fuel retailers take advantage of them by charging significantly more”.

Referring to the Chancellors announcement freezing fuel duty and deferring the increase due to take effect in January 2012, Mr Knight added, “The Government is doing its bit to put a lid on the cost of motoring. Motorway fuel retailers must also bring transparency to their pricing policy otherwise Parliament should take action to put an end to this racket”.

It has been revealed that customers paying their energy bills by cheque could be paying almost £100 more extra per year when compared to those paying by direct debit.
Research by Which magazine discovered that the difference in price between paying quarterly by cash or cheque and monthly by direct debit came to an average of £98.60 over the course of a year.

Mr Knight, who earlier this year with other MPs successfully lobbied for the retention of the cheque, said: “These findings are a cause for serious concern when so many pensioners are already suffering from fuel poverty. Energy companies know that the use of direct debit decreases with age and that many people, particularly the over 70s, are more comfortable with cheques because direct debits give them less control over their banking.”

Mr Knight added: “Energy companies should realise that their customers are people – not cash-cows. Whilst it clearly suits them to extract money directly from their customers accounts, people who still prefer the more traditional methods of payment should not be penalised in this way”.

Mr Knight has asked the Government to investigate ways to put a stop to this kind of exploitation of customers.

East Yorkshire MP Greg Knight has issued a warning to holidaymakers going overseas, urging them to make sure they are aware of any fees which may be applied to their credit or debit cards when using them abroad.

Mr Knight said: “There is a plethora of fees which can be applied to card use when going overseas. These can include cash withdrawal fees, purchase fees and unpublicised poor exchange rates. For example, withdrawing cash overseas on a credit card can incur a fee of as much as 3% on top of any foreign usage fee. Anyone going on holiday abroad over summer should make sure they read the small print, and contact their bank if they are unsure on any point. Otherwise they could find themselves with a much bigger holiday bill than they were expecting.”

‘Beware if going abroad’ -Greg Knight MP in Bridlington.Mr Knight’s comments follow increasing concern about attempts by banks to hit consumers with unfair fees. He says: “Following court victories which limit overdraft and credit card fees, banks have been fleecing their customers in other areas. This invariably impacts those who travel abroad. Banks should stop ripping off customers, and instead cut their fees to sensible levels.”

Mr Knight adds: “One option to avoid these rip-off fees is to holiday in Britain – ideally somewhere delightful, like the East Riding. But if you must go abroad, remember, the message is simple: ‘buyer beware!’”