Are Gas prices going up in Europe or just the USA?

[MikeT]

Are the gas prices going up around the world or just here in the US? They have been going up like crazy here and I wanted to see what our DRN friends around the world are experiencing.

 

[Okiewan]

Humm.. interesting.
I'll take a guess; to some degree yes, but 1) their demand isn't as high and 2) they've paid substancially more than we ever have... for many, many years.

Kinda OT, but I wonder what the average distance driven per year, per capita in Europe is vs, the US?

 

[MikeT]

2) they've paid substancially more than we ever have... for many, many years.

They pay more because of the heavy tax attached to gas to pay for their national healthcare systems. We get medical insurance taken out of our checks, they get it taken out at the pump.

 

[BadgerMan]

They have been going up like crazy here

Gotta cover the cost of those $400 million retirement packages......... ;)

 

[Okiewan]

They pay more because of the heavy tax attached to gas to pay for their national healthcare systems. We get medical insurance taken out of our checks, they get it taken out at the pump.

So, if you don't drive, medical care really is free?

 

[robwbright]

they've paid substancially more than we ever have... for many, many years.

Yep. If I recall, gas was about $4.00-$4.50/gallon in Italy/Switzerland/France in the late 90s early 2000s. (Of course it was in different currency and measured in liters, but I think I had it right).

The three times I was there, I saw a LOT of REALLY small cars that probably get 40-50mpg, a LOT of moped/scooters, and several Mercedes and Ferraris.

And yes, the prices are going up the last month over there as well - although the prices peaked there (and here) in September, 2005. Prices are currently at about $5.75 to $6.75 U.S. for premium in Europe.

 

[robwbright]

They pay more because of the heavy tax attached to gas to pay for their national healthcare systems. We get medical insurance taken out of our checks, they get it taken out at the pump.

Yep - and in countries like that, in many cases the medical care takes forever and it sucks.

When compared to the free market, government involvement in anything ALWAYS results in bad service, longer lines and higher costs (perhaps unseen initially).

For example:

http://www.fee.org/pdf/the-freeman/esmail0505.pdf

http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=15034

http://www.townhall.com/print/print.../columns/walterwilliams/2004/07/21/12421.html

http://www.heartland.org/archives/health/jun02/million.htm

http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba369/ba369.pdf

How about waiting 9 1/2 weeks for radiation treatment for breast cancer?

5 weeks for a CT Scan?

12 1/2 weeks for an MRI?

38 weeks for knee or hip replacement?

Yep - I sure want "universal" health "care" here in the States. . . :coocoo:

BTW, I don't have health care through work, and I still don't want it.

 

[Masterphil]

I'm moving to singapore!

I don't have any guess what the nat. average miles per year is, but mine is 15-20000 per year, depending on how much MX travel I do in the summer.

I'm going to wish I didn't do this, but:
15000 miles per year / 14MPG that my truck gets = 1071 Gallons of Gasoline
1071 Gallons of Gasoline x $2.70 per gallon (about average over the last year) = $2891 worth of gasoline per year.

Yep, I wish I hadn't done that.

 

[Okiewan]

Yep, I wish I hadn't done that.

LOL!!

 

[robwbright]

I'm moving to singapore!

How about Iraq? You could have freedom and $0.27/gallon gas.

Lots of desert riding, too, and I doubt too many people would complain about the noise with all the bombs and guns going off! ;)

Turkmenistan is even better!

(The below is a ratio, not prices).

http://www.nationmaster.com/red/graph-T/ene_gas_pri&b_printable=1

 

[CaptainObvious]

A few things are affecting the current price of oil and gas...

1) We use too much of the stuff. The US is the largest consumer of oil products. Our demand far exceeds our ability to locate/drill/refine, so we rely heavily on imported oil.
2) Were not alone. Not only is our demand increasing annually, but larger nations such as China and India are also using more oil. They too get their oil from the same place as we do. There is an imbalance, not in our favor, in the supply-demand equation.
3) Government regulation. MTBE is out – E15 is in. This change in manufacturing is causing a distribution problem. Not only that, while our demand for petro products continues to rise, our refining capacity continues to drop. This is a real problem.

Normally I don’t jump on eco band-wagons, but this one is real. President Bush was 100% correct in his January State of the Union Address when he used the term “addiction”. The time to reduce our dependence on foreign oil passed about 20 years ago. We have done nothing as a nation to reduce our dependence on this black jizz.

Hybrid cars will have little impact on our need for oil. A hydrogen economy, at best, is decades away. The answer right now is development of bio-fuels such as Biodiesel and E85. Do they cost more – Yes. Do they work as well – No (not really a correct answer because an engine designed to run on E85 is just as efficient and a pure gas engine).

Bio-fuels are a national security issue. Bio-fuels are a way to reduce the foreign trade deficit. Bio-fuels are good for American farmers and American industry.

 

[evenslower]

The three times I was there, I saw a LOT of REALLY small cars that probably get 40-50mpg, a LOT of moped/scooters, and several Mercedes and Ferraris.

Yep, and the cars all have vacuum pressure gauges as part of the instrument cluster. I'm guessing as a way of gauging fuel consumption "real-time", floor it and red-line the vacuum pressure gauge.

Took us less-enlightened a couple different cars before we got one that actually had the gauge labelled to know what it was.

 

[MikeT]

So, if you don't drive, medical care really is free?

That's what I understand. I know they don't have anything taken out of their checks for medical insurance. You might have to pay co-pays for drugs though. Don't really know.

 

[Treejumper]

I'm moving to singapore!

I don't have any guess what the nat. average miles per year is, but mine is 15-20000 per year, depending on how much MX travel I do in the summer.

I'm going to wish I didn't do this, but:
15000 miles per year / 14MPG that my truck gets = 1071 Gallons of Gasoline
1071 Gallons of Gasoline x $2.70 per gallon (about average over the last year) = $2891 worth of gasoline per year.

Yep, I wish I hadn't done that.

I'll take your gas bill anytime. Mine runs between $5K to $6K a year. Average is $120 a week in gas. :( 10 to 12 mpg in my gas hog Ram.

 

[robwbright]

That's what I understand. I know they don't have anything taken out of their checks for medical insurance. You might have to pay co-pays for drugs though. Don't really know.

Umm. . . nothing is free - they pay for it in their taxes and they pay more for it - either in actual cost or in the ridiculous wait times, which sometimes cost them their lives.

Now that's expensive.

 

[Red Mamba]

How Are The Prices Like In Your Area Today?

Out here in San Diego this morning i went to the pump and i can only use 91+ , the price was $3.39 a gallon. I wont be surprised if it goes up to $4.00 by next week then i will look into other options.

 

[Chili]

1.09 a litre here up from .99 a week ago. 3.785 litres in a US gallon = $4.13 a gallon here right now. Our first race is next weekend and it's the farthest track on the circuit. Nothing like a $400 gas bill for the motorhome to make you reconsider the event. I am a member of a fuel cooperative that pays back a percentage to members based on profits of the co-op. Last year I purchased about 80% of my fuel at the co-op, when I got my dividend payment I had spent just over 4k in fuel at the co-op last year.

 

[Red Mamba]

1.09 a litre here up from .99 a week ago. 3.785 litres in a US gallon = $4.13 a gallon here right now. Our first race is next weekend and it's the farthest track on the circuit. Nothing like a $400 gas bill for the motorhome to make you reconsider the event. I am a member of a fuel cooperative that pays back a percentage to members based on profits of the co-op. Last year I purchased about 80% of my fuel at the co-op, when I got my dividend payment I had spent just over 4k in fuel at the co-op last year.

That's crazy, i thought it was worse over here, i wonder how much Okie is paying for a gallon, over in Texas.

 

[Okiewan]

I pulled the chip outta my truck that required premium... iI saw $3.09 as of yesterday. Middle grade $2.99, regular $2.79.

 

[Red Mamba]

I pulled the chip outta my truck that required premium... iI saw $3.09 as of yesterday. Middle grade $2.99, regular $2.79.

I always knew gas is alot cheaper in Texas and Alaska.

 

[Okiewan]

You paid 3.39 for 91, here, it's $3.09 (for 93) .. over a couple of tanks, trust me, that IS cheaper.

 

[robwbright]

1) We use too much of the stuff. The US is the largest consumer of oil products. Our demand far exceeds our ability to locate/drill/refine, so we rely heavily on imported oil. . . We have done nothing as a nation to reduce our dependence on this black jizz.

How much is too much?

I'd clarify to say that our demand exceeds our WILLINGNESS to offend the greens in looking for new places to locate/drill/refine.

I agree that we've basically done nothing. Although, I don't necessarily agree that we use to much - I mean, it's there. Why not use it?

What industry were Bush, Cheney and Rice in years ago? (I'm not even imprlying that it's a bad thing, just observing).

You don't think that has anything to do with it in this admin, do you? You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. It's politics after all.

Incidentally, if you're interested, you might want to check out the following on the abiotic oil theory that holds that peak oil is a myth. Maybe the guys promoting this are kooks, but I've not found them to be so in reading them for an extended period. I'm no scientist, but it looks like something may be rotten in Denmark.

http://www.gasresources.net/DisposalBioClaims.htm

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=47276

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/crispin8.html

http://www.lewrockwell.com/walker/walker15.html

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=47611

 

[Red Mamba]

You paid 3.39 for 91, here, it's $3.09 (for 93) .. over a couple of tanks, trust me, that IS cheaper.

Oh yah that's cheaper makes me wanna move to Texas right now but i just found out that i could get it at $3.09 at another station in my area other than 7eleven where i went to this morning. I think it all depends on where you go but the average here is about $3.09 or a little less , i just found that out and i think 7eleven gas prices suck.

 

[bsmith]

For once Gas is Cheaper up here :cool:
Lowest is Costco at $2.55 a Gallon average is about $2.72.

This link will show you some prives in your area.
http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx?zip=&src=Netx

 

[Masterphil]

I'll take your gas bill anytime. Mine runs between $5K to $6K a year. Average is $120 a week in gas. :( 10 to 12 mpg in my gas hog Ram.

:worship: