Time to chat about gas?

ryeh2o · 08-13-05, 10:48

With the price of gas going up all across north america, and no end in sight, is it time to start talking about ways of fighting back? It is the old supply and demand thing again.
The refiners know this and they stopped building new plants 30 years ago, all the while knowing car sales would continue to grow. This thread is not really meant to vent about prices, but more to start people on a grass roots level talking about ways of showing our displeasure.

I for one fill up my tank every week, and pay with cash. I'm thinking now that the refiners and oil companies are holding my money all week, while I carry their gas around in my tank. Solution: Buy only 15 dollars worth ( my tanks usually takes about $50 ) and pay with my credit card. I'll go in for gas a few more times a week, but the car will be lighter (better gas mileage) and it will have to cut into the refiners cash flow a bit. Also paying with a credit card gives me the cash in my pants for 30 days till the bill comes in.

Anyways, this is the type of talk i think should be going on now around the country, with our diverse intellectual expertise and determination, i think we can hopefully turn this thing around.

Cheers!

truzoom · 08-14-05, 12:08

Not to burst your bubble, but it will take a LOT for the oil companies to feel an impact from dissatisfied consumers. Whether you buy $5 of gas to last 2 days, or $80 of gas to last 2 weeks, they still get their money, and there's certain industries that pretty much depend on gas (trucking, delivery, mobile detailers(?), etc) so up to a point it's somewhat like guaranteed profit.

I'm back at school for Fall, and I've decided to buy a bicycle to get me to and from school, and I'll use my vehicle during bad weather. As long as people are willing to purchase gas at these prices, the companies will continue to charge these prices, so hopefully not being a player in the game will be of some advantage.

Setec Astronomy · 08-14-05, 04:36

Um...I thought the price of gas was going up because the price of crude oil was going up...which has nothing to do with the refiners and everything to do with our "friends" in the Middle East and elsewhere.

ryeh2o · 08-14-05, 06:51

Setec Astronomy, gas is going up because there is limited supply from the refiners. As soon as the future's traders here that the supply is tight, the price for the crude goes up. It's a viscous circle.
If we had over supply of gas and heating oil for the winter, the prices would remain relatively stable, which would be a lot lower than it is today.

truzoom, I think if everyone were to participate in some sort of protest ( yours being bicycle riding ), it might force the multinationals to spend some new money to fix the situation.

Mine is just one idea, it may not be very good, but i am trying to get the snowball going as far as putting it out there for other to think about. If we bend over and take it with a smile, it will never be addressed. Thanks for your responses so far.

Cheers!

AudiLikeA4 · 08-17-05, 10:13

I showed my feelings on gas price's last june when I bought my current vehicle, 2004 VW Golf TDI(Turbo Diesel). I get about 43mpg average between city and highway. I've had the ecu reprogrammed to get another 50hp and 97tq for a total of 150whp and 274wtq, and the last tank yielded 39.66mpg driving 75-80mph on the highway w/ a lot of A/C use and racing around town. If I do the speed limit and shift around 2200rpm I can achieve over 50mpg. I also got a credit card from Hess that earns me 5% back on all fuel purchases from Hess, 1% back on all other purchases, and the money earned from purchases come's off automatically on the next statement. I also got a citibank card that gets me 5% back from gas, grocery, and pharmacy purchases. If you pay the bill off in full every month then you don't have to worry about the apr and you're actually saving $$$.

I get at least 600 mile's per tank, and have gotten as high as 800 on a single tank, I've heard of some getting as much as 1100 mile's on one tank, from the same car I'm driving...Must have been doing 40mph on the highway for a long period of time...cuz I just can't drive that slow, traffic won't allow it.

kgb · 08-17-05, 10:41

I think this is one of the problems right here:

Totoland Mach · 08-17-05, 10:52

There's a couple of things everyone can do to get 15%-20% savings in fuel costs. I've been reducing my interstate speed 5 to 10 mph on highway driving (gotta watch the 10 mph reduction though...monster suv's, 18 wheeler's, people on cell phones..all want to just about run you off the road). I travel on the road for sales and find that reducing highway speed by those amounts gets me a honest 18% reduction in fuel usage. Over the course of a month..this definitely adds up.

I also use Mobil 1 5w-20 and have proper inflation in the tires. The savings cost nothing to implement, there are no government forms to fill out, and if you put the savings in an envelope each week....you've got some mad money for the latest LSP.

I will say check your temper when you attempt to reduce your highway speed. It's unreal the awful looks and folks climbing your rear bumper.

Nobody wants to see the dreaded return of the 55 (I lived thru that nitemare). But voluntary reduction would go a long way to helping plus put dollars back in your pocket.

Totoland Mach

Spilchy · 08-17-05, 11:23

The beauty of driving a Honda Civic - $14 a week to fill up! I let it go until an 1/8 of a tank and always put in 6.3 gallons.

I'm always dumping spare change into my coin wrapping machine and cashing it in at the bank. I use that cash to help defray the cost of gas. I just got $12 today

So even if the gas prices drop, I'll save like $100 - $150 a year. No big deal. I've wasted that much in a night going out for dinner and drinks or buying 2 jars of Souveran. If I detail 3 SUV's and keep the cash aside, I have paid for my gas for 1 year.

Plus, I keep my tires inflated a pound or two over the recommendation.

Given American innovation, technology and superiority, there is no reason why domestic car manufacturers can't build automobiles with even better fuel standards while maintaining powerful engines.

It still must hurt to be hit in the pocketbook for gas if you're a family or a lower income wage earner or both.

It's about time people buy cars that suit there needs. I want to strangle the yuppies and noveaux riche by me who needlessly drive these SUV's with a Starbucks in one hand and a cell phone in the other. Yesterday a woman was driving a Navigator with a peace symbol bumper sticker on it

The Navigator should have this!

ebpcivicsi · 08-17-05, 11:38

^^^Right on Seth!!! Personally, I think we have cheap gas here compared to the rest of the world. WE SHOULD BE CHARGING MORE!!!! Perhaps then people would drive cars that actually suit their needs instead of the latest greatest vehicle.

KevinA · 08-17-05, 11:38

I've read that the reason there haven't been any new refineries built in the last 30 years is because environmentalists don't want them built - there are also those that call for new ones, but don't want them "in their backyard". There is plenty of oil, we just don't have the refineries. Another reason is all of the summer mixes that have to be produced - another environmental lobbyist victory.

pugoman · 08-17-05, 12:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebpcivicsi

^^^Right on Seth!!! Personally, I think we have cheap gas here compared to the rest of the world. WE SHOULD BE CHARGING MORE!!!! Perhaps then people would drive cars that actually suit their needs instead of the latest greatest vehicle.

Well said. If you guys over there had the fuel prices that we have over here in the UK, I can guarantee you wouldn't be driving around in your large engined cars and suv's.

Nearly every other car on the road over here now is diesel due to the ridiculous fuel prices. I'll be filling my car up with diesel tommorow at a cost of approx. $1.60 PER LITRE!

Totoland Mach · 08-17-05, 12:34

One of the major differences between U.S. driving and UK (and other european countries) is the large driving distances we tend to go for routine errands: commuting to work, driving to shopping centers, taking long distance vacations. We don't have a very efficient train network and air travel becomes expensive when you are paying for a family of 4 to travel.

You're absolutely correct on large engined vehicles. I have a Suzuki for my daily driver that does a decent job fuel mileage wise. And my V8 engined vehicle (Mustang Mach 1) is a weekend cruiser that still gets 28 mpg on the highway.

I the course of my daily travel, I have been passed at pretty high speed by a multitude of gas guzzlers. I know these Suburbans, Excursions, etc are not even getting 10 mpg at those speeds and that's what is aggravating.

Oh well, maybe fuel will reach a painful point for these folks.