Why does no one freak out about gas gouging? It sems everytime the jack the prices..waaaay up no one blinks. status quo..”oh well, nothing we can do about it” oh yes there is! Bombard the oil companies, government and retailers with emails. FYI, the price of gas here is not regulated by local refining costs, transporation costs, or, what some believe…incredibly, the price at the pump in NB. The government of NS, big oil, and retailers claim it is dictated by New York dock prices for . If that were the case, we would be paying the same price as Ontario..they get their gas from the same place. Over 50% of costs for a litre of gas comes from the price of crude..at the dock.
It just drives me insane watching the price of crude slide downward (ya, sadly I watch BNN) thinking “oh boy! of course the price at the pump will fall in lockstep” ) only to see NS jack up the price..because they know we will think “oh..well it went up ext door so of course it will go up here.” I understand market fluctuations, b ut not when there is a growing surplus (BNN again) of oil reserves in the U.S. I don’t even use that much gas, it just drives me nuts because it jacks up the price of everything that is moved, or produced by fossile fuels. When the price of crude drops 35 bucks a barrel, the price at the pump drops 11 or so cents, but the formula does not work in reverse. When the price per barrel goes up 3 or 4 dollars, they ratchet up the price at the pump way out of proportion. grrrrrrrrrrrrrr
—Flyingbrick
This article appears in May 14-20, 2009.
Good idea. I’ll write and angry letter with lots of angry words to the oil companies and the ns government. That’ll stop ’em.
Looks to me that crude is up near 80% since the middle of Feb. Gas is up 28% or so in the same period. What should the price be?
I try not to get upset over something that I can do absolutely nothing about.
My philosophy is that since you’re going to buy the gas no matter what the price is, getting upset is only going to give you an ulcer.
Just relax and take it up the ass like the rest of us.
They are banking on it. I don’t get upset at the price of gas, ’cause I don’t rely on it to make a living, however people actually thinking they really aren’t getting ripped is perplexing. You call it bad sex, I call it rape.
Yer right fish…say nothing, do nothing, always the best way. I’ll bet you don’t bother voting either ’cause “it won’t make a difference as they are all the same” oh well, what can ya do 🙂
If there’s anyone out there who doesn’t know they’re getting ripped off when paying for gas, please contact me, as I have a lovely time-share, an extended warranty, and a bridge in Brooklyn I’d love to sell you!
Still beats $1.50/L.
Brick, there’s a difference from voting, which I have done last election, and writing angry letters to faceless corporations only to spew ignorant and generalized opinions on why the price of gas is so high.
You don’t honestly think someone up in some tower is sitting and reading these letters, balancing it’s merits and considering the suggestions to pass along to higher up, more powerful people?
Spring, summer, and fall are the seasons for refineries to do turnarounds. I wounder if they affect the price of crude?
Sorry, gasoline not crude.
use less?
Complaints and emails are not a going to do a goddam thing. But hey, if you’re angry with the way the “man” is ripping you off, go ahead waste your time. I think your complaint should go a little like this:
Dear Oil Corporation Executive,
Please drop the price of gas, cos I don’t like it. Come on, you can make less money so I can get cheaper gas.
Sincerely, Joe Shmuck
Let me know how it works out for you all.
Boomberg.com May 15 2009 : Gasoline is the best-performing energy commodity, having gained 71 percent this year.
And : ‘Gasoline futures rose as far as $1.7290 a gallon during trading yesterday, the highest level since October.’
Check the pump next time you fill up because some of the cost is a fixed tax which never changes when crude goes down.
Stop whining its over $2 a litre in Europe !
Or buy shares in an oil company and take your chances.
.50$ a litre right now in Texas – cos Texans are nice & proactive, not like those apathetic people with the sore a-holes north of the border.
that’s $.58 in CDN without transport up north.
every hand it passes through gets a cut.
There is a tiny chance that pleads to the government might do something, but it would not be much. It is entirely up to the oil companies.
There is ZERO chance that pleads to the companies will do anything. The only they respond to is what you ‘say’ with your money.
Any given thing is worth whatever you are willing to pay for it. If you don’t like the price, don’t buy it…or at least cut back.
Ride your motorcycle more. Save up for buying or building an electric car. Take public transportation, if possible.
It’s not up to the oil companies. Regulation is dictated by NS government. Complain to your MP. If we all do it NS will have to drop the bullshit regulation.
“You call it bad sex, I call it rape.” LOL Flyingbrick! Too true.
The price of petrol at the pumps is entirely based upon futures. The people to blame aren’t really the oil companies due to that fact (although they’re not entirely without blame). The people to blame are the hedge fund managers who buy the stock/commodity and control the prices to their fund’s benefit. Honestly, you want to blame someone? Blame people like the hedge fund managers, blame government (especially since we’re now regulating the price of gas, look to Venezuelans as well) and blame cartels like OPEC. They’re the ones to blame as they control the stock, which has the most significant effect on the price of crude which obviously trickles down to the price of petrol and finally the consumer. Dogma’s right: use vehicles that conserve on fuel, use public transit, walk or bike to work. As far as complaining, it’s no use, unless you like getting form letters from government agencies and corporations.
Maybe this point should be a new bitch all together but check this out. Superstore is the first retailer in NS to install a wind turbine to service the energy needs of their own building. Excess energy is sucked onto “the grid”. NS Power is not obligated nor pays for by way of credit nor any other mechanism for this new energy source but certainly collects the revenues when it’s distributed through “the grid”. Maybe, just maybe, our government’s attitude about green initiatives drives the price of fuel up since the price is, indeed, set by a speculative market. Given how the Superstore’s new energy source has been received by NS Power, and is backed by legislation, I think we can all accurately speculate the price will continue to go up until we Canadians get pissed off enough to demand our government embrace green initiatives with something that matters… MONEY.
Nice thought kay, however, the government’s attitude is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fuel prices. NSP not allowing for credits on power that flows into the grid is a completely separate issue. You just can’t satisfy people; clearly, unregulated prices was the better choice, but people hated the fluctuating prices. Now that prices are fixed for a specific period we complain because we pay more over a longer period.
This is in the recent bitch list on the front page:
Nice thought kay, however, the government’s attitude is only the tip of the iceberg when… * Posted by Dr. Fever * on May 16, 2009
But there is no such comment on this thread. Does this mean Fever is not only a favorite bitch but a LTWWB administrator who is tinkering with the back end? Does that make Fever Tim? Sad days indeed.
well shit… and there it is. Very weird.
It would be an interesting occupation… but, alas, I am not.
Great responses all! Thanks 🙂 Kay..Dr. Fever, you guys need to meet for drinks 🙂 fantastic CIVIL discussion :~) Made my day. Deep down, I know you are both partialy right, but I am still gonna bitch. It is never less annoying when a “rebel” in Nigeria, fires a random bullet at an oil rig worker, and it drives up energy prices by 30 dollars a barrel. The media does not help matters at all. And you are dead right about partial boycotts. They contibuted the last drop in prices, to a slowdown in consumption. Keep it up! They will soon run out of excuses…about the same as time folks get wise to the “game”.
This would all be a forgone issue if the oil market wasn’t so undervalued during the 80’s and 90’s. Also realize: we’ve got it good in North America. Europe has been seeing 3.00 dollar a litre fuel for a number of years now.
may you should all park your cars and start walking!
maybe you should contribute something useful if not practical to the post, Soupy.