The price per gallon of gasoline continues to be the infamous topic of conversation for most Americans. Recent prices at the pump are no longer causing the typical cringe and the swipe of the credit card. Americans are changing their behavior in response to fuel prices. Moreover, most Americans (8 out of 10) believe high prices are here to stay, thus many are saying lifestyle change is a must. The national average per gallon of gasoline has gone up 59 cents since February of this year. As a result of these price trends, federal data and recent gallop polls show that miles driven in the U.S. have decreased for the past five consecutive months (for which data is available) starting in March and counting backwards to November. The U.S. has not seen a decline like this since 1979 when gas shortages caused backups at gas stations nationwide. Furthermore, 6 out of 10 Americans polled by the USA Today said they were carpooling and 82 percent of the 1,007 U.S. respondents to a national energy survey by RBC Capital Markets said they will consider buying a hybrid when they purchase their next vehicle. Seventy one percent of the 1,017 polled by the USA Today said gas prices have caused a financial hardship for their household. [Sources: USA Today & Green Car Congress]

Bad Behavior

Behavior change in response to high fuel prices does not always come in the form of dependence on carpooling and public transit to save on fuel costs. Fuel thievery is on the rise as prices increase. There have been several reports throughout New England and around the country of gas being siphoned from cars, construction equipment and school buses. Mobile sources of gasoline are not the only targets; oil is also being drained from home heating fuel tanks. In Maine a bus ran out of gas en route to school after several buses were the victims of gas siphoning. Vermont state police and other state authorities are urging truckers and other drivers to lock their gas caps. One hundred and ninety gallons of diesel fuel was stolen from two tractors trailers in St. Johnsbury recently. Officials say if fuel prices continue to increase they expect fuel thefts will also rise. [Source: Boston Globe]

Smaller Vehicles

Vermont car dealers are seeing a change in trends. Some car buyers are simply buying more fuel efficient vehicles, but others who are less willing to jeopardize the image their vehicles provide for them are buying smaller cars to use as second automobiles says Bill Shearer, owner of Shearer Chevrolet in South Burlington. Larry Lussier of Heritage Toyota says many people are ready to trade in their SUVs for smaller vehicles that get better gas mileage. Heritage alone has 49 Toyota Priuses pre-sold and Mr. Lussier said the hybrid electric vehicle would be their top seller in the past few months if they had more to sell. Dan Bokan, the general manager of Shearer Chevrolet said truck sales are down, but car sales are definitely up. He attributed this to the fact that drivers with a 16 gallon tank vehicle driving on average 15,000 miles per year could save at least $400 switching from a vehicle that gets 20 mpg to one that gets 23 mpg. [Source: Burlington Free Press]

COMMENTS

Carpooling may be the quickest and possibly the easiest remedy for high gas prices. In knowing this, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) is reworking its system of helping people around the state organize carpools. A new website is set to be online this fall for people to coordinate sharing rides or taking the bus, says VTrans' public transit administrator Chuck Gallagher. The new site aims to be more user friendly with the hopes of linking people to additional forms of alternative transportation. At present Vermont offers 12 commuter bus routes to get people to and from work. Mr. Gallagher says the legislature added another $350,000 to the budget that funds these routes. The new website will offer "one-stop shopping" for transportation options of which carpooling and these bus routes will be a part. [Source: VPR]

COMMENTS

Some say oil prices could hit $150 a barrel by early July. [Source: Google Associated Press]

Montana leads the nation in gasoline consumption per capita.  [Source: Great Falls Tribune]

A possible goodbye to the Hummer as GM announces plans to focus on smaller vehicles. Ford to downsize production of F150 as well. [Sources:Wall Street Journal & Yahoo News] 

Anheuser-Busch, the EPA, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) are getting together to green a part of the company's fleet. [Source: 7th Space]

Waste veggie oil, an alternative, but not enough to go around. [Source: New York Times]

COMMENTS