Fuel Price Pro

John Reed asked:


Heard the latest? Gas prices went up again. Yeah, I know. That was a poorly designed intro. With gas prices steadily on the rise, we all are feeling the pain.

One thing is for sure, the high prices that we are seeing now will be around for a while and although they may change, the change probably won’t be any good for our wallets.

So, where do we go from here? We know the usual tips for lowering the effect of this money drain such as driving less, keeping tires properly inflated, and driving at slower speeds. Those all work and provide a substantial benefit to the budget but they must be accompanied by additional measures to help the budget further.

1. Use tools like the Gas Money Toolbar or the TypoBounty.com toolbar at GasMoneyToolbar.com. This toolbar allows its users earn money online to pay for gas. Through the popular website TypoBounty.com, the toolbar really helps offset the costs.

2. Use websites like GasBuddy.com to find the lowest gas prices in your area.

3. If your vehicle can run on lower grades of fuel, use it. Check your vehicles manual to determine if your vehicle really needs the higher grades of gas. It really amazes me that so many people use the higher grades of gas when they really don’t need to. Check it out. You may be spending additional money for naught.

4. Take freeways and roads with fewer lights when possible. Stopping and starting is the enemy of fuel economy. When at all possible maintain the momentum that your vehicle burned fuel to provide you. Listen, the average car is over 2000 pounds. It takes an enormous amount of power to move that load from a dead stop. However, it is quite easy for the engine to maintain the load momentum once load is already moving. If you encounter street lights do your best to time them to minimize their effects on your vehicle’s gas mileage.

5. When driving and desiring to accelerate, do it on the down side of a hill if you can find one. Allow gravity to ease your vehicle’s need for propulsion.

Remember, gas prices may rise but using extra techniques and tools to combat the money drain can help a lot.

Roy E. Klienwachter asked:


Driving into work this morning I noticed the gas prices have jumped again to $1.30 a litre or $5.90 a gallon, Canadian.

Like most days when I notice the price has jumped, I just shrug my shoulders and declare them “bustards.” I think to myself surely the government must be aware of this atrocity, why aren’t they doing anything? Then I remember how much they are making on each litre as taxes-a whopping 30%. I guess they are not in too much of a hurry to give up this windfall.

What really triggered this article is a news cast. An oil representative when asked about the rising cost of oil said, “People are will to pay the higher prices.” I heard this same statement from another oil company rep. years ago when we had the conversion from leaded to unleaded gas. They left something out of the gas and were charging us higher prices. Once again when asked the response was, “people are willing to pay higher prices for it.”

Nothing triggers me faster than to hear this kind of arrogance. What they are really saying is-no one is blowing up our gas stations and refineries, so they must be happy with paying the higher prices. Now, I understand cost and profit as I have been in business all my life. However, when I see the outrageous profits from large corporations such as gas companies, banks, and software companies-it’s easy to see they are simply charging too much for their services. They will come up with all sorts of excuses, and none of them explains the outrageous profits. Costs of business always come out of gross profit before the humungous surplus or net profit is realized.

I am not fooled by their explanations. The anger I feel is the pat answer we get, “People are willing to pay.”

In the case of the gas companies who seem to be in bed with each other, there is no where to turn as an alternative. If you don’t want to pay for the higher prices you can’t go to the competition because there isn’t any. WE ARE NOT WILLING TO PAY and we are not willing to blow up gas stations and refineries to demonstrate our dissatisfaction.

There will come a point when the conglomerates push too hard and people will start to react. By that time they will have accumulated a very large surplus and will give back a few cents a litre to pacify the rebels.

Now the company executives are correct in saying people are willing to pay because they have not reacted in ways the companies can understand and appreciate. The real issue is with the consumer not the companies. Consumers have so much power and control over these companies but they have given up their power to governments and regulatory bodies who have a vested interest in higher prices.

The simply truth is, if you don’t want to pay high prices for gas and other products-don’t buy them. In a very short period of time the companies will be giving away their products. No customers-no products to sell-no business. As far as the oil companies go, even if everyone stopped using their petroleum driven machines for just one day a week, I suspect it would bring them to their knees in a very short time.

The balance of power has always been with the consumer to control prices. However, it is the waist of these products that create a greater demand for the products, and the law of supply and demand (greed) comes into effect. I suspect there are very few people who could not restructure their lives to not drive one day a week and make it an ongoing way of life (keep up the pressure). Companies will react to consumer pressure, but they also know that consumers will not keep up the pressure for very long-high prices are soon forgotten after the temporary relief has been dribbled out by the money grabbers.

Although it sounds like I have written this article to attack oil companies-it’s not really why I created this article. Sure, I am really pissed off by the arrogance of company executives, but I really wanted to point out the wonderful opportunity their greed presents to you.

Somewhere along the way we have convinced ourselves we need their products, and we have structured our lives around them. The industrial revolution has made us slaves to buying and wasting and it is catching up with us. Can you really afford to pay high prices for gas? Do you really need to pay for overpriced software and operating systems which don’t even work correctly? Do you need to pay $50 a person at a fancy restaurant for food and drink plus 20% for the tip? Has the good life really made you happy-that is the bottom line?

The opportunity I was talking about is here, now. You can take back your power, freedom and individuality by reacting strongly to these wrong doings. The reward you will receive will be the satisfaction of doing something, anything, and encouraging others to follow your example.

It is also OK to do nothing if you are happy to pay too much for your products and services. However, if the price gouging is increasing your stress levels-take action. It could be as simple as forwarding this article to another-creating your own articles. You could designate one day a week you will not consume gas or oil which would make a huge impact when others follow. This article is not about bringing the money changers to their knees but about motivating you to do something positive about something you don’t like. It is about being powerful and demonstrating that power in your actions. And it is also about motivating others to do the same.

In the computer age it can all happen in a heartbeat. I have written this article and sent it out in my newsletter. Hundreds of thousands will read it on my site. I will forward it to over 400 article directories and to thousands of others on my email list. The article will go around the world in one day many times. You can do similar things. And while you are doing these things, you must know it’s not about the oil companies or any other company-it is about you-it’s all about you. You are making a statement for your own satisfaction and good. As the now famous line goes, “I’m Mad as Hell and I Won’t take it Any Longer,” do something for a change.

Every day opportunities come your way and every day you pass them by. Every event that happens today and tomorrow in your life is a chance for you to say to the world-this is me, this is who I am-I’m making this statement-others will follow, trust me!

Just because an oil executive says “you are willing to pay higher prices” doesn’t mean you have to give your power to change that to them. If you are doing nothing when you hear such moronic statements-you are giving in to them-their statements become your new truth.

You don’t have to become and eco-terrorist and blow up refineries and gas stations. What you have to do is something that demonstrates positively that you do not agree with their statements-that does not include complaining or whining about it.

Now if you disagree with price gowging and rip offs, and you want to do something positive and if you agree with me-then forward or pass this article on to someone else. How simply is that-no effort on your part, yet it will create the outcome you desire. What you do in the next five minutes will irrefutably demonstrate to you where you stand on being a victim. Like many people you can choose to do nothing-there is nothing wrong with that if you can honestly live with it.

Mark Lauterwein asked:


Compare Gas Prices: Dolphins and the Offshore Industry

The discovery of oil and gas deposits in the North Sea was justly celebrated at the time. People’s lives were transformed as cheap energy made cold rooms in winter a memory for millions. Of course there were doubts: the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988 saw nearly 167 rig-workers killed in a murderous explosion. The Cullen Report indicated that safety protocols on the rig were not stringent enough and things have tightened up since then.

The biggest fears surrounding the industry now have less to do with day-to-day safety concerns than with the uncertainty as to what consequences Britain’s dwindling supplies will bring. In the longer term Russia does not look like a reliable partner. Nuclear power is the favoured option, but it will take decades for the new generation of clean reactors to be built. Delays will be caused in any event through massive environmental protest (who wants to live next to a nuclear power station?). So, in the meantime, there is pressure from the Treasury to ensure that the figurative barrel of our North Sea resources is well and truly scraped. However, recent studies of dolphin pods in the Moray Firth illustrate that there is always another kind of price to pay for the sake of maintaining Britain’s balance of payments deficit.

This particular group of bottlenose dolphins living off the east coast of Scotland, only an hour’s drive from Edinburgh, has become a well loved tourist attraction. Wildlife thrives here, workers on the Forth Bridge have spotted a group of killer whales swimming below them. Yet the number of dolphins has fallen in recent years and scientists have concluded that this is directly related to the expansion of the offshore industry nearby. Concessions have been made to those concerned about the future of the pod and Alistair Darling has prohibited drilling in the direct vicinity of the Firth. So this story has a happy end, at least for the time being.

Those consumers who compare gas prices at the present time with those of yesteryear will be fully aware that the increasing efforts being made to locate new North Sea deposits (especially near the coasts, where the environmental cost can be so high if something goes wrong) are being paid for by the end user. However, due to the freeing up of the market at least the modern day gas customer has the consolation of being able to compare gas prices with other providers to locate the best deal. Since most electricity in this country is generated by gas powered power-stations, electricity bills are also connected to the state of the offshore industry. However, market freedom prevails here too and the consumer is well advised to shop around.

17.4.2008

Kade Phillips asked:


Sub-prime mortgage crisis, food prices soaring, gasoline costs through the roof - do you feel like you’re being financially squeezed at every turn? Here are some easy things you can do about some of your auto related expenses:

Saving money at the pumps

Slow things down a bit

On most major U.S. highways and freeways, the posted speed limited for automobiles & motorcycles is typically between 55-75 mph. If you’ve got a bit of a lead foot, you should know that increasing your speed does increase your automobiles gas consumption accordingly. Driving 20% faster than the posted limit increases your gas consumption by roughly 20% as well. Think about it, with today’s soaring gas prices, do you really want to be buying 20% more gas?

Use Cruise Control

The governments website www.fueleconomy.gov suggests that using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas. The also advise to use Overdrive Gears because, When you use overdrive gearing, your car’s engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear. You’ll be saving gas, the environment and ultimately your hard earned dollars.

Relax, live longer and enjoy the ride

Aggressive driving, like rapid acceleration, speeding, and hard braking increases gasoline consumption by up to 37% according to a recent study done by Natural Resources Canada. Incredibly, it’s also been reported that aggressive city driving only gets you where you want to go about 2½ minutes faster on a 60–minute trip. 37% more gas to buy??? It’s a lot to pay for so little time saved, dontcha think?

Is your vehicle actually another ’storage room’

While it may seem like a convenient place to keep certain things, minimizing the amount of “stuff” you keep in your automobile can save you a significant amount of gas money. It is estimated by the U.S. Department of Energy that for every additional 100 pounds that you truck around in your vehicle, you are increasing your gas consumption by about 1-2%. This can really add up over time.

Not going anywhere and still burning up loads of costly gas?

It seems silly to state the obvious, but…you get 0 miles per gallon if your car is idling. You could simply turn off the cars motor if you’re not moving for a while. Instead of idling while waiting at the fast food drive-up window, why not park the car and go inside? It’s often way faster to get served anyway, and you should know that idling in the line up for more than 10 seconds burns more gas than restarting the engine would. Use this tip wisely, and your gasoline savings will mount.

A well-maintained and smoothly running vehicle uses less fuel

Your auto was designed for optimal operation with certain minimum requirements in place. If these minimum requirements are not met, your cars fuel-efficiency suffers.

Consider the following:

• Keeping your tires properly inflated can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 per cent.

• Your car’s air filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside of your engine and it helps the engine to operate more efficiently. Replacing a dirty air filter can improve your vehicle’s gas mileage by as much as 10 per cent.

• You can improve your vehicle’s gas mileage by 1-2 per cent by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil. Using lower grades will not only hurt the engine, but will hurt your wallet as well, in the form of much costlier fill-ups at the pump.

Drive less - much less if you can

Now we know that this is not for everyone, but for many of us, this is not only a viable option, but it could lead to some wonderful side benefits if enabled correctly. Much better health and fitness levels could be ours if we chose instead to walk or cycle whenever possible, instead of driving absolutely everywhere. Other options are car pooling with others (could be great for your social life) - or downsizing your ride - how about one of those new scooters that gets like 80 miles per gallon?

All kidding aside, most of us could drive a lot less, walk a bit more, and we’d all be far better off for it.

Cheaper auto insurance? - yes, it’s very possible

With gas prices through the roof, saving money at the pumps is a real hot-topic these days, but you should know that there’s another vehicle (excuse the pun) worth looking at for significant savings where your auto costs are concerned. It’s easy to do, usually costs nothing but a bit of your time to do, and most people are still unaware of just how much money can be saved.

Did you know that car insurance rates can and do vary wildly from insurer to insurer - for basically the same coverage? Only by shopping around for your auto insurance coverage and getting quotes from several insurance companies will you know whether you are getting the best possible rate on your car insurance coverage. Don’t pay any more than you have to - shop around for your car insurance policy. If you have a few minutes, compare your current auto insurance rate with multiple competing offers right now. Click on: Cheap auto insurance to get started. It could be the best 5-minute investment decision you make all year.