Cathy Dobbs: A real shock for electric car drivers

Just a few months ago most of us car owners were in shock at the petrol pumps, watching as the price tipped over £100. Our electric car-owning friends must have been going giddy from the number of times they patted themselves on the back. But this week the RAC has said that from October it will actually cost more to travel long distances in an electric car than a petrol equivalent. So, not only have they spent more on the car, but they have the wait at service station charge points and now the extra cost too. Why does it always seem that going green hits us where it hurts the most – our pockets.

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It's become clear that whatever lifestyle choice the government is pushing us to make, we should choose the opposite. So, when Labour was pushing for 50 per cent of young people to go to university, those who bucked the trend and got a trade are now in big demand, and some are earning more in a week than many graduates make in a month. So, hang on to your petrol and diesel cars – they will probably be worth a fortune in the not-too-distant future.

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My mum is usually very careful with her handbag, but the other day she lost her purse while out shopping. It made me realise how much we all trusted each other in the 70s and 80s, when we would go out leaving the front door unlocked. Now that we all have more money, we distrust those around us. I worried that her purse had been pinched, or that if she dropped it someone would take all the cash and try to use the credit cards. What actually happened is that a lovely lady called Heather picked up her purse and eventually got through to my mum. It’s good to remember that crooks are in the minority, while good, honest people thankfully make up the majority.

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After I wrote about shrinkflation – where your coffee or your meal shrinks but stays the same price, a reader got in contact with her observations. She said that at her favourite restaurant a Caesar salad, which used to include chicken and croutons, is the same price – but the chicken is now £4 extra, and you can add croutons for £1. It’s like ordering your roast dinner and being told the beef and Yorkshire puddings are an optional extra.

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One good thing about going electric is that it should hopefully see the end of boy racers with their loud motors, which scare dogs and children. I wonder how they will get their kicks when they are driving around in an almost silent car? If they want to make some noise why don’t they buck the trend and join a choir – young men are in short supply at most choirs, and they won’t be short of female attention. Something that they obviously crave.