[MonteQuest]

For me, I could cut 10% use if I walked to the store more often. Other than that, my gas use is determined by where I am working.

I can and will pay $10 to $20 a gallon. No choice.

I would cut dining out to defray the cost of gas, plus raise my customer prices.

[dukey]

over here its already like 7$/gallon ;p
although a lot of that is tax

[DantesPeak]

I know most won't see it this way (outside of PO.com) but an incremental doubling of the price (to $5) only adds about 10 to 15 cents per mile driven – which really doesn't change the economics of driving to work much. Roughly $10 is more like the threshold where people will change their commuting habits.

Non-commuting, personal driving would however fall incrementally as the price past $3, but probably not significantly for most until it hit $5.

The price would have to be around $10 before I would substantially cut back driving in general, but I'm already using much less than the average commuter in my area, so maybe I'm not representative.

[marko]

People's answers probably primarily depend on how much of their demand is for getting to work, secondarily on their income. I am about to move to a place where I can easily ride a bike or take the subway to work. In fact, I'm planning on junking my car and relying on my boyfriend's for weekend excursions. For me, it wouldn't have to go too high to cut back on those.

[frankthetank]

4-5 ... If you are in the states and gas goes to $10 a gallon, the last thing you should be worried about is getting to work. People will torch gas stations, start neighborhoods on fire, run naked thru the streets... it would be chaos. No way it makes it to $10... I say they leave it low and just let the pumps go dry.

[SolarDave]

Monte, please set up a parallel poll that takes into account "reasons" for cutting gasoline use besides $/Gal.

I'll not pollute this clean thread with the list, but I'm certain you know what I mean.

I am requesting this because - even though the price of gasoline does affect my willingness to use it - there are other non-dollar-cost reasons that affect me more strongly.

In other words, I responded to this poll and checked the first (lowest) price band. And I have cut my gasoline use drastically (less than 20/gals a month now). But NOW - now that I am at a very low use, I could tolerate $10/gallon gas.

HOWEVER - there are other things besides higher prices that might make me consider reducing my gasoline consumption even further. That would be another interesting poll.

PS - I am fascinated by the clustering of the responses to this poll at the two extremes. Either people are sensitive to gasoline cost vs. use, or they are not. Very black-and-white. Extrapolating, society as a whole will not reduce gasoline use evenly. Half of it will go cold turkey, and the other half will keep on keepin' on. That's a recipe for disaster...

[Twilight]

Doesn't matter, as I don't use any directly.

I pay the equivalent of over $7 already, but we're only talking occasional weekend motoring, and even that is discretionary as I can get anywhere by train and bus for the same kind of money and less stress. I take that option when it's available. I walk everywhere. Car is shared. If I need to travel for work, that's paid for. On the whole, any personal travel beyond walking distance is an optional extra, just entertainment.

If I had to commute daily at my own expense, at the moment I can afford to go over $10, as I will never be going far. In Europe, businesses and housing are built side-by-side, so you never have to go far unless priced out by an economic microclimate like London.

It's how much pain other people can handle that will affect me.

[Ponce]

About 1.5 years ago I prepaid for 1,000 gallons of gas at the service station in my one mule town (to small to be a one horse town) at the price of $1.69 per gallon and then about six months ago I bought another 1,000 at $1.95 per gallon.

At this time I have left about 92 gallons at the $1.69 price and 1,000 at $1.95 per gallon.

Because I am retired and in summer time I drive one of my two scooters I believe that my 1,100 to my account will last me about 2.5 to 3 more years.

I tried to do the same with the heating oil and the guy told me "What? are you crazy?"..... but that's ok because I only use .45 gallons per day year round, or in other words about 165 gallos per year...... I keep my temp at 64 degrees.

By the way, the price of gas here went as high as $3.76 las summer and I believe that this summer it will be worse.

"To be ready is not"... Ponce

[thuja]

4-5 ... If you are in the states and gas goes to $10 a gallon, the last thing you should be worried about is getting to work. People will torch gas stations, start neighborhoods on fire, run thru the streets... it would be chaos. No way it makes it to $10... I say they leave it low and just let the pumps go dry.

Have to agree with you here Frank- very doubtful we will see 10 $ gal./gas unless there is serious hyperinflation. Most likely there would be no gas, or rationed gas. Of course, there may be a black market for gas that develops that could go very high. Does any one know if this occurred back in the 70's? Someone on the side of the road who waved people back to his private garage where he's fill you up for triple to quintiple the going rate? I know that's the norm in places like Iraq/Somalia/Zimbabwe. Did it ever happen here? Very likely it will happen here in the next ten years.

[DoubleD]

The price is just under $3 now... and I have already adjusted my demand in response to the price increases. I now carpool 3 days a week to work - sometimes more but it usually works out to 3 days. For almost a year now we have also kept to a rule of "one no drive day" every weekend. The vehicles stay in the garage and we either bike/walk locally... or just hang out where we are.

Have reduced my consumption of gasoline by almost 40% as a result of those changes. We track our expenses carefully - so I can say that with certainty.

If prices get up to $5 a gallon I will make further adjustments. Likely:

1) Purchase an even smaller/more efficient car for my work commute; and
2) Increase the number of days I carpool to at least 4 days a week (out of 5 possible); and
3) Start giving serious consideration to doing an employment search that is "in my backyard" so to speak. If the overhead cost of my current job (commute costs) becomes too excessive... I would be better off to take a lower paid job much closer to avoid those rising "fixed" costs of transportation.

[JoeW]

$5/gal = curb consumption much further
$10/gal = carpools become the norm!

[perdition79]

Pricing of gasoline will never be an issue, scarcity will.

[MonteQuest]

Monte, please set up a parallel poll that takes into account "reasons" for cutting gasoline use besides $/Gal.

Why don't you do it, beings that you have some ideas for reasons?

Anyone can start a poll.

[MonteQuest]

Of course, there may be a black market for gas that develops that could go very high. Does any one know if this occurred back in the 70's? Someone on the side of the road who waved people back to his private garage where he's fill you up for triple to quintiple the going rate? I know that's the norm in places like Iraq/Somalia/Zimbabwe. Did it ever happen here? Very likely it will happen here in the next ten years.

There was some hoarding for Black Market sales. Mostly, people just stole it via Midnight Gas Supply. Siphon you dry.

Some rented their license plates.

Biggest problem I think we will see as prices continuously rise is increased daily demand.

From what, you say?

People will fill up every day in anticipation of higher prices, or shortages, the next.

[MonteQuest]

Have to agree with you here Frank- very doubtful we will see 10 $ gal./gas unless there is serious hyperinflation. Most likely there would be no gas, or rationed gas.

Doubtful?

During the gas crisis of the 70's, the price of gas tripled and it was rationed. Some days, there was no gas at some stations.

[cube]

What is it going to take for me personally to curb demand?....a lot! I don't use that much gas to begin with compared to the "average" American so I really don't have that much "fat to cut off".

Things have to get pretty drastic for me to cut back.

However an argument can be said there has already been demand destruction. We are all familiar with the American car companys' financial woes (all 3 of them)....something that's practically celebrated on this board.

How many SUV's did NOT get sold because gas is now 50 cents more expense compared to pre-hurricane Katrina and Rita times? Granted there are many other variables involved besides the cost of gas when a consumer decides what type of car to buy but...it sure is fun to speculate!

[WildRose]

Right now I'm paying $0.97/liter for gas. It costs me $45 (Canadian) to fill up my Honda. I'm trying to get by using 3/4 tank per week, but it's sometimes hard to do this in the cold winter months because the car is parked outside and I have to warm it up before driving. I've experimented with cutting back as much as possible; last summer, I had my driving down to 1/2 tank per week. I find that where I cut down most is with driving that is based on fun/leisure. I have found that organizing errands and doing as many of the things I need to do in one trip as possible to be very effective at cutting back on gasoline.

Gas would not have to get that much more expensive for our family to cut back even more, as we don't have a lot of extra in the family budget. We would walk or take public transit so that we could still do some of the things we like to do. I'm fortunate that my workplace is only a 10-minute drive from home. My husband, on the other hand, works on the opposite side of the city (we are a two-car family) and is already keeping an eye out for work closer to home. We have greatly reduced trips out of town over the past couple of years.

[IslandCrow]

I voted for the price to go really high. A year or so back I did a spreadsheet of what I spent my income on, and how I could manage if oil went up (say doubled). The conclusion was that I could afford the retail price of petrol going up 3 or 4 fold (given taxes in Europe this could be upwards of $400/barrel for crude). This forced me to agree with those who say oil is cheap.

What the spreadsheet showed, was that if an oil rise triggered general inflation (and wages did not keep up, which I expect would happen in rapid inflation) then a 5o% rise say in food would give me serious difficulties. At that time I also had oil heating, and a much smaller rise would put me into difficulties.

Regarding reducing driving. There is one route that I drive about once a week (80 km each way), where I could take the bus. The cost of the ticket is a little higher than the cost of petrol, and it would take a little longer. I suppose I should use this more, not so much to save money/oil, but to help support an infrastucture/service that I would need if prices help on rising.

[topcat]

I did not vote as I/we have already cut back at around $2.50/G. The higher it goes, the more we cut back.

I just stay on the farm, rather than joy riding, at this time of year. Have tightened my radius of recreational travel. Used to just up and go 50 miles one-way to an equipment auction, now I might go 30 miles (if I even go at all).

Just last night, we were discussing which vehicle we should replace first. Wish we could replace both for newer, smaller ones.

My dad gum 3/4 ton PU hasn't met a fillin' station it don't like yet. But then I only drive it when I need to haul something. Last year I put around 2,000 miles on it.

[kjmclark]

In a kind of strange switch, I'd probably use my car more if gas prices went to $10/gal. My family really only uses our car for recreation. My wife and I both bike to work and our kids walk to school. Every year we take two or three long trips. There is the annual trip to my mom and siblings at Thanksgiving, this year we'll fly to Seattle, and we're thinking about driving around Lake Huron.

If gas prices were that high, then the flight to Seattle might be out, but we'd still take a trip. Since our problem is lack of time, we'd just load up the car and drive somewhere. Right now our annual trip to Tennessee costs about $80 in gas. At $10 it would be about $330, which is still only a third or less than the cost of our plane trip for four.

The problem with this poll is that it takes gas prices in isolation, when it's more likely that all petroleum based, produced, or transported products would also at least triple.

A few other notes: Europeans, Canadians, Japanese, etc. would have smaller percentage increases than in the US, since a greater portion of their current costs are taxes. Whether we would ration by price or quantity probably depends on whether Democrats or Republicans are in charge. The Republicans are probably more likely to continue using price to ration. Finally, even if we move to rationing, families like ours may end up using more. I don't need the gas, but I'll be darned if I'll let some jerk in the suburbs use my share to fill up their boat. If the rations are tradable credits, however, and they aren't use or lose, I'd be happy to sell extra to someone else.