Oil companies to screw us again

[mikered30]

There is a shortage(perhaps artificial?) of alkylate, an additive that replaced MTBE over 2 years ago. Gas could be around $3.50 for the nationwide average in the summer. Currently the average gas price is $2.98 a gallon. Oil companies deny there is an artificial shortage.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5499656.html

 

[Bill in Utah]

Gas WILL be over $3.50 a gallon this summer.

We have shown to the oil companies that during the off driving season, we will pay $3 without thinking about it (and not change our driving habits incl style).

We went over $3 last driving season and did not slow down and use less, so gas must still be cheap.

I'd bet that gas will be close to $4 a gallon this summer than $3.50.

Hope I'm wrong.

Diesel will be very close to $4 since it went over $3.50 this winter.

Bill

 

[rshaw125]

This is OUR fault not the oil companies.

 

[SD26]

Bingo!

Additionally, high costs drive new programs to generate other forms of petroleum replacements, better economy.

Too much has been done to place road blocks in front of companies to build new gasoline refineries and to block drilling. After all, China is drilling for oil with Cuba in our back yard. US companies are restricted. [censored]?

 

[heathenbrewing]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah


We have shown to the oil companies that during the off driving season, we will pay $3 without thinking about it (and not change our driving habits incl style).

We went over $3 last driving season and did not slow down and use less, so gas must still be cheap.

I'd bet that gas will be close to $4 a gallon this summer than $3.50.


Are the gas companies gouging us, price fixing, and generally charging whatever they want and making billions of dollars doing so?

Yes.

But ultimately, it is our fault. We continue to drive large vehicles that use a lot of gas. We think nothing of making 4 trips a day instead of combining our errands.

We live 30-40 minutes away from our jobs and think nothing of it. We will drive 30 miles to shop, get a haircut, see a movie, or eat at an Applebees (or a thousand other restaurants they are all the same if you havent noticed).

So here is your solution. Drive less in a smaller vehicle. When we do, gas prices will drop. Until then, we might as well get over it.

We live in a country where middle class families live in $250,000 homes with 4 bathrooms and yet we think the world is coming to an end when gas tops $3.00 a gallon.....look around, $4.00/gal is a very fair price.

And the next time you curse big oil, take a look at the sign posted near the pumps at all gas stations....see how much tax you pay on a gallon of gas.


Originally Posted By: rshaw125
This is OUR fault not the oil companies...


I totally agree. Its not the Presidents fault, the governments fault, or even the fault of the countries in the Mid East. It is our fault.

This is like the housing market IMO....its not a business problem but a people problem.

 

[oilyriser]

Refineries want those road blocks since it prevents new refineries (competitors) from being built.

 

[d00df00d]

I see both sides of the argument here.

Honestly, though, I have to say I'd rather pay $4/gal for gas with alkylate than $3.50/gal for E10...

 

[VeeDubb]

If you are really worried about it, buy $1500 worth of the ETF ticker symbol OIL. It tracks the price of crude oil and will pretty much hedge you against high has prices. Ever since I bought it, it's completely changed my attitude at the pumps.

 

[eljefino]

#2 heating oil is $2.87 the cheapest I can find it.

Unleaded is $3.02.

Usually there's a 60-80 cent spread.

Something's gotta give.

There were EPA exemptions post-Katrina to get clean but non-standard gas to the pumps. They could reshuffle their regs again if there was enough demand.

I'm not proposing throwing out the clean air rulebook, but there should be allowable substitutes for key additives if that's a roadblock for selling fuel.

Shoot, Mobil 1 substituted some additives, hinted at it on the label, and everyone did fine.

It's like how we can't get the tiny euro diesel cars, it's our own government that we supposedly run blocking us....

 

[SrDriver]

I am retired but while working lived overseas in both in Europe and Asia. Seems that the only way to cut demand that works is by increasing fuel taxes and improving public transportation.

In Europe fuel taxes are quite high and you are taxed when you buy a vehicle by the horse power - same goes for insurance, tags, etc.

Some cities in England and Europe have restricted the use of cars in some areas or charge a hefty daily usage tax to allow you to drive in certain areas.

Improvements in public transportation and our rail system in the United State would help. You don't see all the heavy trucks on the roads where fuel prices are much higher than here as most goods are shipped by rail and delivered locally using smaller more fuel efficient vehicles.

As a child I can remember when we ordered clothing, etc., and it came into the train station in the small Midwestern town that I am from. Now the tracks and train station there are both gone.

 

[Whimsey]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
#2 heating oil is $2.87 the cheapest I can find it.


Wow

! You're getting off easy! Here in northern NJ #2 heating oil is running in the upper $3 range to $4 right now. Yet diesel fuel with the high road tax on is running around $3.30. In the past heating oil was always cheaper than diesel fuel

.

Whimsey

 

[javacontour]

Originally Posted By: rshaw125
This is OUR fault not the oil companies.


The oil companies do not set the price. They may set the supply, but then we consumers control the demand.

Don't like paying as much for gas, well buy less.

You have total control over how much you pay, by reducing how much you buy.

 

[Max_Wander]

Originally Posted By: rshaw125
This is OUR fault not the oil companies.


It is. It's our fault for being so stupid for generations, allowing this plan to dominate humanity through oil to progress with us cheering our own oppression on. It's our fault for still being so stupid and ignorant to the CEOligarchy's plan of mass, long term manipulation. As children of morons, and as morons ourselves, we deserve it.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
n Europe fuel taxes are quite high


They are here too. You just don't pay it at the pump. Most of it is spent providing a global defense umbrella that keeps the resources "stable" (cough-cough).

 

[mikered30]

On a related subject
Shell 4Q Net Profit Up 60 Percent

"Net income was $8.47 billion, up from $5.28 billion in the October-December period a year earlier. Sales rose to $107 billion from $75.5 billion despite a fall in oil production."

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080131/earns_netherlands_shell.html?.v=1

 

[ALS]

Funny how everyone complains yet when I went down to visit family in Fl. over New Years I was running the speed limit.
It was probably 10 to 1 the number of vehicles that passed me vs vehicles that I passed. Most of the vehicles that I passed were owner operator 18 wheelers. And a few old people that were running 10 below the speed limit. People complain but I don't see them changing their driving habits.

 

[H2GURU]

Resticting your driving will save you money and help the atmosphere, but, it won't lower the price you pay. Maybe 20 years ago we could band together and create "demand destuction" but the residents of Chindia are more than ready to purchase any fuel that we choose not to. It truely is a global market for petroleum and I see the price curving north.

 

[dickdog1]

one things for sure is that the American middle class status symbol, the SUV, is a great case in point.
I see them lined up around the block to save two cents a gallon. whats that tell you?
I doubt these owners are doing alot of long distance runaround in these obsolete gashogs.
I despise SUV's ,along with the big gigantic pickup trucks for daily driving ud=sage.I believe there should come a time when trucks and SUV's like this are outlawed for non-commercial purposes. The worst part is that they make the raod unsafe for small commuter vehicles that are going to be the wave of the fiuture for energy coservation
I dont have a huge problem with 5 dollar a gallon gas.If thats what it takes to put the screws to all these gas wasters and get the U.S inline with eoropean prices and vehicle sizes then I'm all for oit. Ive got a small daily driver.I can live with it.

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted By: dickdog1
I dont have a huge problem with 5 dollar a gallon gas.



Yeah, me too. The same idiots that drive these gas guzzling monstrosities are the first ones complaining about gas prices. Gasoline is VERY underpriced at 3 bucks per gallon.

 

[XS650]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Originally Posted By: dickdog1
I dont have a huge problem with 5 dollar a gallon gas.



Yeah, me too. The same idiots that drive these gas guzzling monstrosities are the first ones complaining about gas prices. Gasoline is VERY underpriced at 3 bucks per gallon.



The big problem with $5/gallon gas would be using the extra money in a way that made sense. That would never happen.