What would you rather, 4c/ltr off or a $250 regional seniors travel card?
Stories about a 4c a litre fuel discount replacing the regional seniors travel card are just that for the moment: stories.AN ABC report features criticism of a deal between the NSW Government and service station chain United Petroleum to give seniors a 4c a litre discount on their fuel.
The ABC points out that this deal was done after the suspension of applications for the $250 annual NSW Seniors Regional Travel Card.
While the actual ABC report does not claim the United Petroleum deal replaces the Regional Seniors Travel Card, it does include comments from NSW Nationals leader Dugald Saunders who said the seniors travel card represented a far better deal than the 4c United Petroleum discount for seniors.
He reportedly described the United offer as “laughable”.
“Mathematically if you had a car with a 60-litre tank you’d get $2.40 saving if you filled your car from empty. So you’d have to do that 105 times per year twice a week to save more than the $250 you get from the regional travel card”.
Note that Mr Saunders does not claim the seniors travel card is to be replaced by the United Petroleum deal. All he is saying is that the seniors travel card is better than the deal.
Mr Saunders reportedly called on the government to re-commit to the regional travel card.
CPSA had already told the NSW Government to do the same thing.
However, reports suggesting or insinuating the suspended card is being replaced with a 4-cents-a-litre discount are premature.
Yes, the deal followed the suspension of the card, but that’s all for the moment.
Also, United Service stations are located both in metropolitan and regional areas of NSW. The seniors travel card is only available in regional areas.
In other words, the announcement of the United Petroleum deal by the NSW Minister for Seniors seems to be a simple good-news publicity effort on her part.
The smartest thing to do for both metropolitan and regional seniors is to sign up for the United Petroleum deal and get 4 cents off every litre of car fuel they buy. Nothing “laughable” about that.
Obviously, make sure that the actual litre price you pay is the lowest on offer where you are. There’s no point getting a discount if you’re still paying more than you need to.
In order to receive the discount, NSW seniors card and senior savers card members must sign up for a United digital or plastic fuel discount card online.
Meanwhile, the Seniors Regional Travel Card continues to be suspended pending review in the lead-up to the NSW Budget to be handed down in September.
CPSA has written to the NSW Government stressing how important the card is to older people in the regions. If the NSW Regional Seniors Travel Card is important to you and people you know, now is the time to write to the NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey. Click here for his contact page and leave a message.
You can also write to the NSW Minister for Seniors Jodie Harrison here.
AN ABC report features criticism of a deal between the NSW Government and service station chain United Petroleum to give seniors a 4c a litre discount on their fuel.
The ABC points out that this deal was done after the suspension of applications for the $250 annual NSW Seniors Regional Travel Card.
While the actual ABC report does not claim the United Petroleum deal replaces the Regional Seniors Travel Card, it does include comments from NSW Nationals leader Dugald Saunders who said the seniors travel card represented a far better deal than the 4c United Petroleum discount for seniors.
He reportedly described the United offer as “laughable”.
“Mathematically if you had a car with a 60-litre tank you’d get $2.40 saving if you filled your car from empty. So you’d have to do that 105 times per year twice a week to save more than the $250 you get from the regional travel card”.
Note that Mr Saunders does not claim the seniors travel card is to be replaced by the United Petroleum deal. All he is saying is that the seniors travel card is better than the deal.
Mr Saunders reportedly called on the government to re-commit to the regional travel card.
CPSA had already told the NSW Government to do the same thing.
However, reports suggesting or insinuating the suspended card is being replaced with a 4-cents-a-litre discount are premature.
Yes, the deal followed the suspension of the card, but that’s all for the moment.
Also, United Service stations are located both in metropolitan and regional areas of NSW. The seniors travel card is only available in regional areas.
In other words, the announcement of the United Petroleum deal by the NSW Minister for Seniors seems to be a simple good-news publicity effort on her part.
The smartest thing to do for both metropolitan and regional seniors is to sign up for the United Petroleum deal and get 4 cents off every litre of car fuel they buy. Nothing “laughable” about that.
Obviously, make sure that the actual litre price you pay is the lowest on offer where you are. There’s no point getting a discount if you’re still paying more than you need to.
In order to receive the discount, NSW seniors card and senior savers card members must sign up for a United digital or plastic fuel discount card online.
Meanwhile, the Seniors Regional Travel Card continues to be suspended pending review in the lead-up to the NSW Budget to be handed down in September.
CPSA has written to the NSW Government stressing how important the card is to older people in the regions. If the NSW Regional Seniors Travel Card is important to you and people you know, now is the time to write to the NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey. Click here for his contact page and leave a message.
You can also write to the NSW Minister for Seniors Jodie Harrison here.
