Motorists use Facebook to rally against fuel companies

Motorists plotting a boycott against fuel companies in response to rising petrol prices are using social networking site Facebook. Over 144,000 motorists have signed up to a group called No Fuel Day on the site.

The day, Monday, November 19, has been created following the news that the average price of unleaded petrol has exceeded £1-per-litre. BP has being singled out by the group as the most expensive.

More than 5,000 messages have been posted on the group with an average 19 new members joining every minute. The group says the major fuel companies have made “no effort” to counter the boycott.

Henry Elliss, head of social media at Tamar, which advises brands on how to manage their reputations on social networks, says: “Social networking is now powerful enough to take on brands who have left themselves open to attack online. The failure by the fuel giants to communicate their reasons for price increases to the Facebook community is a warning to others who will need to engage with the public on this contentious issue to avoid losing public support.”

Recently, Facebook members forced high street bank HSBC to u-turn on a policy over graduate account charges.