Finally, a possible good idea...

Didn't they also do where you could only drive every other day, with your number plate denoting when you were allowed to drive?

 

Anything that reduces consumption (demand) will result in higher inventories (supply), which in turn will result in lower prices. People could carpool or telecommute for example. So far, I haven't seen any increase in cars with 2 or more occupants on the highways during rush hour.... Gas prices may have to go higher still.

 

In California, the odd-even rule applied to when you could purchase gas.

 

Maybe they should issue cards which tell the petrol pumps when you filled up last, and the longer you go on a tank, the more of a "discount" you get on your next fill up. People love to save money, maybe they would combine trips into town and not take unneeded trips. The system probably wouldn't work, one because it would cost money to put in place, and two because there is no way to get discounts on petrol, but we can dream...

 

Decreasing our gas consumption would not help us right now. The oil companies would just reduce the amount of gas available by taking more refineries off-line.

 

Yeah, it was the same way in New York. Police and Fire fighters were exempt at the time. I remember folks swapping licence plates in order to buy gas. And then there was the $5 minimum!!

 

I just wish my company would let me work from home more often - I could put in my full 10 hours a day (being Salaried sucks, btw) and not have to spend a penny to drive to work.

Of course, i'm closing on a new house in two weeks, and once i get moved i'll be within walking distance of work - at least, while it's warm out. Next winter i'll still have to drive (1.5 miles isn't too much to walk, but at -20 degrees it is!)

 

The Only Way To Lower Prices is to Lower Demand. Smaller Cars with better MPG's and Less Driving.

 

Just a quick observation: The folks greatest impacted with this are the Mon-Fri crowd. Reducing your commute to work 1 day per week is a reduction of 20%. How does this 20% reduce fuel consumption by 40%? Just curious.

 

Maybe so, maybe no. The refinery has a fixed cost whether it is operating or not. Short term, taking a refinery off-line is a viable response to a dip in demand. If the dip (in demand) is long term, the fixed cost of the refinery eats into the profits earned by the refiner and they have to either sell the refinery (at a loss) or start it up and produce more gas and sell the gas at the current market price. As long as the incremental cost of producing the gas is covered and some part of the fixed cost of the refinery is being met, the refiner will operate the refinery. At current prices, the refiners are not losing money....