Want lower gas prices, collectively we can do it

Domano 68 · March 31, 2006

For those of us that are really tired of high gas prices, well I think there is a few things that we can do.

One, drive slower. Don't accelerate fast, pretend you have an egg underneath the accelerator pedal. Don't rush from stop light to stop light. Look ahead

to see if the light is red and drive slowly to the next light. Keep it under 65.

Second, don't believe the lie that Exxon, Shell, Chevron, Texaco gasoline is better than the others. It is amazing how many people believe this! ALL GAS IS

95% the same and comes from the common pipeline system. The only difference between brands is the additives. Additives do little to help your car anyway.

This is a true statement and the Big Oil companies do not want you to know this. If you have the History Channel, watch thier show "Modern Marvels-

Gasoline". I told this to a guy at work and he said something like, "Well the Mom and Pop stores have water in their tanks and don't maintain them as

well". I just laughed. Look around, the big oil names are higher priced, always.

Lets say you change your driving habits and go from 15 mpg to 18 mpg. On a 26 gallon tank that is an additional 78 miles. If you get 18 mpg thats approximately

4 gallons of gas that you save. At $2.50 per gallon, that is a savings of $10.00 per tank. If you burn a tank a week that is $40 savings per month and $480

savings per year!!But the more important number is that you got an extra 4 gallons out of the tank. If the entire nation would do this, the demand would

take a serious hit and prices would drop drastically. Look around next time you are in rush hour traffic at all the cars. Then think of the thousands of

cities in this country and all of the cars. WOW!

To get the price of gasoline down, we need to consume less, therefore the demand drops. Sorry, but I had to vent.This is getting out

of hand. Lets all do something, spread the word!

ken1mod · March 31, 2006

Gentlemen,

This is a great post. I have had several cars with mpg readouts and learned much. When I drove, I got 17 mpg, when my friend drove (younger than me) he got 20 and when my wife drove she got 13.

All were very good drivers (hopefully myself included). The difference seemed to be in what the poster calls looking ahead. Look far ahead to the next stop light. If it is red, get off the gas and coast. This also improves the odds that it will turn green and you won't have to stop at all.

I actually found that moderately strong acceleration is OK. So is the occasional clock cleaning of a rice burner or Ford. Getting up to cruise speed strongly seemed to be ok. Pitifully slow acceleration did not seem to work at all. There is a happy medium.

This may have to do with the computer going "closed loop"

Most of us can increase fuel mileage significantly with some easy techniques. You do not have to sacrifice the pleasure of that American Iron under your hood. An occasional 3 second burnout wastes little fuel.

Another way to look at it is that there are 3 phases to city driving, Accelerate, Coast and Brake. What we need to do is stretch the coast phase as much as reasonable, coasting is free. You should not go directly from gas to brake. There should be a definite significant coast phase. You can definitely increase mileage 25% by geting off the gas earlier, and you also save brakes, clutch and transmission.

I am not a gentle driver. My engines never have "carbon build up" and I enjoy the "angels singing" sound of 5000 rpm times 8 cylinders but a bit of technique can really kink Exxon's cash register. Personally, I't rather put the money into a great exhaust system than Exxon's bank.

Try it, you will be amazed

Ken

2005 Z71 · March 31, 2006

Since we are on the topic of saving... how about this cool method for saving a stash of cash. Pick a bill. 5, 10, 20, 50 whatever. Set a rule that anytime you get a new bill you stash it away. What I mean by new bill - is the newly redesigned bills. This works great with 5 dollar bills. Think of how many you might get in a week. Put all the rest of your cash in your wallet as normal.. and then stuff the 5 away. Soon you will have stashed away a nice chunk of fives.

RyanZ71 · March 31, 2006

Even if we reduced the demand for gas, the price will still be controlled by companies who own the oil. You forget, we live in a society that is all about greed. We want more more more for less less less and we don't give a dang about what others think. This will lead to the destruction of our Society me thinks. If people can learn to be good neighbors, and not care so much about themselves instead of helping others and doing good to others, there might be a chance, just like it was back in the 1800s, but now? nope.

mmmikkke · March 31, 2006

I want higher gas prices, but only because that will cause more conservation. I already conserve, and I'm glad others are thinking of doing it also. But don't do it to hurt anybody, do it because it's the right thing to do.

I agree about conserving causing lower demand, but I think 95% of the public couldn't be bothered with conserving. For them to conserve it will take higher prices.

By the way, I trust big oil. It's my right to do so, just like it's your right to be cynical about them. Can you handle that without making a threat or insult??

Z'06 · March 31, 2006

I want higher gas prices, but only because that will cause more conservation.

Great point. Another benefit of the invisible hand is that higher prices will naturally lead to cleaner alternative energy sources, so it is amazing to see anyone claiming to be an environmentalist ever upset about higher gas prices.

Domano 68 · March 31, 2006

Even if we reduced the demand for gas, the price will still be controlled by companies who own the oil.
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And how will these companies get rid of the excess oil they have due to people buying less. They'll HAVE TO drop the price. Supply vs Demand. I strongly agree with your other points.

asilverblazer · March 31, 2006

By the way, I trust big oil. It's my right to do so, just like it's your right to be cynical about them. Can you handle that without making a threat or insult??

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Why do you trust big oil? No threat or insult, I'm neutral on that matter, just want to here your unusual position.

mmmikkke · March 31, 2006

Because big oil is really just people like you and me. It's not a cabal of organized criminals. It's accountants making an honest living, geologists making an honest living, marketing people making an honest living, and so on.

Sure there might be a bad apple here and there, in every field, not just big oil. I feel that others, who claim big oil is dishonest, are being dishonest with themselves. They abandon any measured consideration of who "big oil" is because they can't resist jumping on such a fun bandwagon.

ken1mod · March 31, 2006

I completely trust the oil companies that give us the cheapest oil products in the industrialized world. The system is very transparent. We set oil prices. Not them.

But I still get a kick out of using less and buying that great exhaust system. The point is you can use less, save more without sacrificing the occasional burn out. Its just technique, that's all.

ken

6Burgh · March 31, 2006

Even if we reduced the demand for gas, the price will still be controlled by companies who own the oil.
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And how will these companies get rid of the excess oil they have due to people buying less. They'll HAVE TO drop the price. Supply vs Demand. I strongly agree with your other points.

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Drop prices? Nah they will cut production first so the demand will still be the same.

firefighteremt3100 · March 31, 2006

Because big oil is really just people like you and me. It's not a cabal of organized criminals. It's accountants making an honest living, geologists making an honest living, marketing people making an honest living, and so on.

Sure there might be a bad apple here and there, in every field, not just big oil. I feel that others, who claim big oil is dishonest, are being dishonest with themselves. They abandon any measured consideration of who "big oil" is because they can't resist jumping on such a fun bandwagon.

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An honest living? Yeah...and pigs fly. They are not honest. I know people in the Oil industry. The markup is RIDICULOUS. Yes...it goes with supply vs demand, however they add additional markups. Take the price of gas in one area....here in Wisconsin for example. 20 minutes down the road...prices can vary, and it has, by 20 cents! It does not cost ANYMORE money to ship it here, than down the road. Again as the other poster said...I am not insulting, just throwing my opinion in as well.

gave20 · March 31, 2006

Because big oil is really just people like you and me. It's not a cabal of organized criminals. It's accountants making an honest living, geologists making an honest living, marketing people making an honest living, and so on.

Sure there might be a bad apple here and there, in every field, not just big oil. I feel that others, who claim big oil is dishonest, are being dishonest with themselves. They abandon any measured consideration of who "big oil" is because they can't resist jumping on such a fun bandwagon.

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An honest living? Yeah...and pigs fly. They are not honest. I know people in the Oil industry. The markup is RIDICULOUS. Yes...it goes with supply vs demand, however they add additional markups.

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what law have they broken by marking up their prices? All businesses markup, that's how they make money; some do it more than others. Furniture and grocery stores have about 30% markup, and what about the auto industry before the internet how did you know you where getting the best deal.

If we want lower prices we need ethanol. Here's how that supply and demand works: Farmers grow corn, we refine it for fuel and they feed the distilled grains to the livestock. How long till the light bulb turns on in America, a RENEWABLE resource is the way to go.

redvett · March 31, 2006

As soon as we get the Socker Moms out of SUV's they dont need we will save plenty.

firefighteremt3100 · March 31, 2006

Because big oil is really just people like you and me. It's not a cabal of organized criminals. It's accountants making an honest living, geologists making an honest living, marketing people making an honest living, and so on.

Sure there might be a bad apple here and there, in every field, not just big oil. I feel that others, who claim big oil is dishonest, are being dishonest with themselves. They abandon any measured consideration of who "big oil" is because they can't resist jumping on such a fun bandwagon.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

An honest living? Yeah...and pigs fly. They are not honest. I know people in the Oil industry. The markup is RIDICULOUS. Yes...it goes with supply vs demand, however they add additional markups.

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what law have they broken by marking up their prices? All businesses markup, that's how they make money; some do it more than others. Furniture and grocery stores have about 30% markup, and what about the auto industry before the internet how did you know you where getting the best deal.

If we want lower prices we need ethanol. Here's how that supply and demand works: Farmers grow corn, we refine it for fuel and they feed the distilled grains to the livestock. How long till the light bulb turns on in America, a RENEWABLE resource is the way to go.

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I reread my posting and I dont see where I said they were breaking the law. I said it was a ridiculous markup. Fair markups in business are expected yes. But a lot of Oil companies go overboard.