Oil company profits

[Rex Kickass]

I have a Scion xB. If I am really really good on the highway, I get 37mpg.

 

I usually average about 32 mpg.

 

But over the course of a year - at 2.40 a gallon. There's a big difference in 5mpg.

[3E8]

I have a Scion xB. If I am really really good on the highway, I get 37mpg.

 

I usually average about 32 mpg.

 

But over the course of a year - at 2.40 a gallon. There's a big difference in 5mpg.

Over the course of a year 5 mpg doesn't make much difference at $2.40 a gallon.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

My Stratus gets me 32 MPG on the highway and 28 I think in the city. Thats pretty good for me and since I only have to fill up about once every 10-14 days Im not taking too bad a hit even when gas prices had peaked.

[Texsox]

Sigh

Oil companies dont set the price of their product..........the oil traders in the pits at the NYMEX do.

You knew that.

 

Sigh, the oil companies have an impact on the selling price of gasoline?

So the oil companies have no control over their profits? Their profits are determined in the pits? No matter how they run their business, their profits and ultimately our retail price is "fixed"? Wrong Nuke. Their wholesale price of raw materials may be determined, but their efficiencies and price they sell the refined product for is a major factor in their profits.

 

If only we had a President who understood the oil industry, maybe has some friend in the oil industry. Then this stuff would never have happened.

 

Towards the earlier comment about increases in retail while the inventory was bought at a lower price. Let's look at the other side of decreases. Gas just dropped to under $2.00 here. If a store had $2.50 gas in their tanks and needed to sell it out before lowering, they would be out of business. Those that have not resupplied are losing on the rest of their storage tanks, but we all know they won months ago when prices went up. That's the game. Plus, at least for one chain down here that I am familiar with, on a retail level, they make way more money on food and sundries, than on fuel. They are happy if they can make a small profit on the gas.

[Rex Kickass]

Over the course of a year 5 mpg doesn't make much difference at $2.40 a gallon.

 

At 12,000 miles a year, the difference is roughly $100 a year.

 

For me who has to drive 35,000 miles a year, the difference is roughly $300 a year.

 

And $300 is a midsize hole in a lot of budgets.

[Mercy!]

Every time this subject comes up, I feel the necessity to state the obvious.

 

Get Rid of Your Cars! Walk. Ride Bicycles. Take public transportation. Put your feet where your mouths presently are. We all make choices in our lives. YOU have chosen to live a life that requires you to own vehicles which run on petroleum products.

 

What has anyone here done besides complain about gasoline prices? What concrete steps have you taken?

[Texsox]

Every time this subject comes up, I feel the necessity to state the obvious.

 

Get Rid of Your Cars! Walk.  Ride Bicycles.  Take public transportation.  Put your feet where your mouths presently are.  We all make choices in our lives.  YOU have chosen to live a life that requires you to own vehicles which run on petroleum products.

 

What has anyone here done besides complain about gasoline prices?  What concrete steps have you taken?

My job requires internal combustion. No way around it. I try and be fuel efficient.

 

But even if you stop driving, your food, everything you buy at a store, your electricity, your natural gas, all are affected by oil prices. Businesses need to drive to thrive. When transportation costs rise, you will see it when you check out at the local megaMart. And if you are shopping at small mom and pop stores in the neighborhood, you are paying it in higher retail prices because the megaMarts get much better wholesale prices.

[kapkomet]

Yea, I can ride a bike to where I work. Not.

 

I can take public transportation to where I work. Not.

 

I can buy electricity, which is a compliment to "oil products", and keep my prices down. Not.

 

I can spend $1000's of dollars to move where this IS possible. Not.

 

But that's all my fault.

 

Yes, I would agree that it's AMERICA'S fault. We are a very greedy society.

Edited October 28, 2005 by kapkomet

[Texsox]

Yea, I can ride a bike to where I work.  Not.

 

I can take public transportation to where I work.  Not.

 

I can buy electricity, which is a compliment to "oil products", and keep my prices down.  Not.

 

But that's all my fault.

 

There are companies closer to home. Yes

There are houses closer to work. Yes

You can put in a solar energy system. Yes

Such a negative boy today.

 

Everyplace is in walking distance if you have enough time.

[3E8]

At 12,000 miles a year, the difference is roughly $100 a year.

 

For me who has to drive 35,000 miles a year, the difference is roughly $300 a year.

 

And $300 is a midsize hole in a lot of budgets.

When I calculated the difference for 20,000 miles a year, I thought I was being generous. 35,000?! Do you live in your car?

[Texsox]

When I calculated the difference for 20,000 miles a year, I thought I was being generous.  35,000?!  Do you live in your car?

Sales and service people routinely put on 30,000 plus annually.

[Mercy!]

Yea, I can ride a bike to where I work.  Not.

 

I can take public transportation to where I work.  Not.

 

I can buy electricity, which is a compliment to "oil products", and keep my prices down.  Not.

 

I can spend $1000's of dollars to move where this IS possible.  Not.

 

But that's all my fault.

 

Yes, I would agree that it's AMERICA'S fault.  We are a very greedy society.back

I repeat: Where and how you live and work are ultimately YOUR choices. I might add, the word "fault" was your choice, as well.

 

No serious response to this, either? "What has anyone here done besides complain about gasoline prices? What concrete steps have you taken?"

[Texsox]

No serious response to this, either?  "What has anyone here done besides complain about gasoline prices? What concrete steps have you taken?"

 

I raised my prices.

[kapkomet]

I repeat:  Where and how you live and work are ultimately YOUR choices.  I might add, the word "fault" was your choice, as well.

 

No serious response to this, either?  "What has anyone here done besides complain about gasoline prices? What concrete steps have you taken?"

Well, I'm a society drone. I just pay it. We don't go as many places... but gotta get to work.

 

Did trade in my V6 for a 4 cylinder.

 

But that V6 was about to have transmission problems too.

[Wong & Owens]

No serious response to this, either?  "What has anyone here done besides complain about gasoline prices? What concrete steps have you taken?"

 

 

I am in the process of installing a solar-powered radiant heat system to offset the increasing cost of natural gas. Unfortunately, because I live in a 110 year old frame house with little insulation, the best it will do is reduce my gas bill by only 30%. After I get that done I will convert my electricity to solar as well. Com Ed will actually buy any electricity I generate that I don't use.

[Mercy!]

That’s neat. I recall you posting about that recently. Can’t you increase the r value of your walls with some kind of blown-in insulation?

[Wong & Owens]

That’s neat. I recall you posting about that recently. Can’t you increase the r value of your walls with some kind of blown-in insulation?

 

It can, but installing that blown-in stuff is a pain in the ass in plaster walls. The fire stops/conduit/other obstacles make it difficult. Eventually, I will tear down the outside walls, insulate them, then put up drywall.

[Balta1701]

No serious response to this, either?  "What has anyone here done besides complain about gasoline prices? What concrete steps have you taken?"

My only transportation the last 2+ years has been my feet or my bike. I'll occasionally take the bus, but that's only if I'm going to a mall. I bike home my groceries. I walk to go shoppping.

 

I've switched all my lightbulbs to those low-energy fluorescent bulbs, which has managed to cut roughly 30% off my electric bills too.

 

I've bought a new refrigerator, which has cut another $5 or so off my electric bill a month (although I did need the new Fridge anyway).

 

Instead of using heat, we mostly use blankets. Have 2 in the living room and a couple of spares in the bedroom. Instead of using AC, we open up the windows and use fans.

 

I trashed the old air purifier and replaced it with an Ionic breeze, which may not do as good of a job with filtration, but uses far less electric. I vacuum a little more to make up for the difference in air quality (only works if you have a Kirby).

 

When I'm not in a room...the lights go off. I often watch TV with no other lights on also.

 

If I do buy a car, it will be a Prius, Civic, or an Insight, depending on what sort of deal people shoot me.

 

During the daytime in the winter, I open up all of the blinds. Either me or my Fiance closes them when we get home. Heats up during the day, holds it in at night.

 

But aside from that, I guess I haven't done that much to conserve energy.

[kapkomet]

I try to be conscious of the lights, and the thermostat, too. That's only common sense, though.

[kapkomet]

Those florescent light bulbs - are they more expensive? I'll have to look into that.

[southsider2k5]

Those florescent light bulbs - are they more expensive?  I'll have to look into that.

 

We looked at them also, they are about triple the cost.

[kapkomet]

Busts out the geeky CPA 10 key...

[Balta1701]

Those florescent light bulbs - are they more expensive?  I'll have to look into that.

Yes, they are more expensive. If you get them on sale, you can get a bulb for somewhere int he neighborhood of $3-$6. At one point last year, I invested like $50 in a bunch of those bulbs and immediately, the next month, saw my power bill decrease by roughly $15 at the time. By my math, they paid for themselves within a few months. On top of that, they last quite a bit longer than normal GE Bulbs.

[Rex Kickass]

I repeat:  Where and how you live and work are ultimately YOUR choices.  I might add, the word "fault" was your choice, as well.

 

No serious response to this, either?  "What has anyone here done besides complain about gasoline prices? What concrete steps have you taken?"

 

I got a fuel efficient vehicle. Then I curtailed my non work related driving to virtually 0.

[Texsox]

My transportation is alcohol powered. I walk a lot.