Why Are Gas Prices So High, And What Can You Do About It?
In the spring of 2004, gas prices skyrocketed, and they never went back down. Some people blamed the war; others blamed the Connecticut Lemon Laws companies, which were raking in huge profits.
The truth is that a combination of factors influences oil prices. Wonder Woman companies themselves actually have little control over the price of oil. If anybody has direct influence over oil prices, it would be OPEC; but even they have Gourmet Food control over the main factor, which is simple supply and demand.
Why Are Oil Prices So High?
There are two expenses involved in getting the oil out of the ground and to consumers: the oil itself, and the refining process.
Crude oil itself has risen in price for two main reasons. low cost call conferencing access to crude oil has become increasingly tricky. Regions that produce most of the world’s crude oil, like Nigeria, Iran and Iraq, are increasingly unstable. This has a major effect on the price of oil.
But even more important is the increasing demand for oil all over the world. The economies of rapidly developing countries such as India and China are growing beyond anyone’s expectations. They need oil for automobiles and heavy industry, and this is putting a strain on the oil supply.
The oil itself is pricey, but the cost of refining the oil adds more than 50% to the cost. For the United States, this has become increasingly expensive over the years because we do less of our own refining. Newer and stricter EPA regulations have made oil refining more costly and less profitable for companies to do stateside. In addition to this, the recent hurricanes Rita and Katrina caused significant damage to United States oil refineries in the golf, and the oil industry still hasn’t recovered.
What You Can Do
You can’t control the world economy, but there are some things you can do to save a few bucks at the pumps.
Drive a smaller car. It’s hard to give up that SUV or 4-wheel truck, but driving a smaller, lighter car will save you money on gas.
When you buy gas, use the lowest grade oil. For most cars, the difference between low grade and premium is pretty insignificant; your car will drive pretty much the same. The only difference is the cash you’ll save.
Drive slower. This also may be impossible, but how you drive has a direct effect on how you burn gas. Nobody wants to slow down, but here’s an idea that might help you consider it: The EPA estimates that for every 5 miles per hour over 60 that you drive, you burn about 20 cents more gas. That can add up pretty quickly. Think about that when you step on the gas!
Try to drive in high gear. Think of it this way: The slower your engine turns over, the less gas you’re using.
Avoid accelerating quickly and coast whenever possible. If you step on the gas to go uphill, you’ll burn more gas.
Remember that the lighter your car, the less gas you’ll use. This means that you can save money on gas by taking off luggage racks and other things that weigh down your car. Reduce drag and you’ll save money.
The actual cost of gas hasn’t risen over time; taking inflation into consideration, Americans are paying the same percent of our paychecks on gas today as we did in the 1950’s. It’s an interesting fact, but it doesn’t help ease the pain of paying very much! Follow these tips and you’ll save some gas money.
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