Did you ever feel like you are been taken for a fuel? 

Two separate news stories, one international and one released by the Irish Government confirm that we are been taken for a ride.

Earlier this week the United Nations revealed that the combined profits of the largest energy companies in the first quarter of this year are close to $100 billion.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres slammed the big oil companies, he called them “immoral” and accused them of “grotesque greed”.

“It is immoral for oil and gas companies to be making record profits from this energy crisis on the backs of the poorest people and communities and at a massive cost to the climate,” he said.

“I urge all governments to tax these excessive profits and use the funds to support the most vulnerable people through these difficult times,”
This is the same week that our own government announced record tax receipts. The state netted €43.5 billion in corporate tax, VAT and income tax for the first seven months of the year.

Of course none of this is reflected in the prices we are all paying for petrol and diesel at the moment and while pump prices are beginning to fall it still costs far too much to fill an average family car.

Fuel prices dictate the price of everything, higher energy prices mean the cost of delivering food to shops and hotels increases dramatically. We all know the average food basket costs more than this time last year and have you tried paying for a hotel room in Ireland this summer?
But never mind they ordinary punter once the big oil companies and the government can boast about record profits.

We will hear every excuse, like the war in Ukraine to post COVID-19 re-adjustment as the cause of increased energy costs.

It seems those who are fuelling – if you pardon the pun – the rise in energy costs are those who are chasing profit and are not in it for the general good of the people.