The price of oil has increased, on average, $1/barrel over the past month. The result is that gas is likely to top $5/gallon at the pump this summer – compared to $2.80/gallon last year.
What does this mean in pure dollars? According to the Energy Information Administration (from Department of Energy), the average American uses 500 gallons of gasoline every year. That means that the average American pays $2000 every year for gas, which includes $368 in federal gas tax. You can factor in an additional 10% for premium.
Last year, US fuel consumption was about 142 billion gallons, an average about 390 million gallons per day and the equivalent of about 61% of all the energy used for transportation, 44% of all petroleum consumption, and 17% of total U.S. energy consumption.
Yowza.
So, I wonder how the increase in gasoline prices is affecting the average American… Are you driving less? Or the same?
I’ll confess that I hate to drive. I live in the city so that I can walk, take the train or the bus. But you can’t walk or ride everywhere, so occasionally, you do have to drive. We probably drive less than 50 miles per week most weeks – our office is about 1 mile from our house – and it costs us just under $50 fto fill our tank. However, to be fair, occasional car trips to North Carolina and Maine boost that average. We usually log about 13,000 miles per year.
Since it’s Friday, I thought I’d ask: How many miles do you drive on an average week? And how much does it cost to fill up your tank?
We cut our gasoline consumption a LOT by choosing to (a) move closer to work and (b) enroll our daughter at a college she can reach using public transportation. Even so, we drive an average of 235 miles each week.
My commute to work is 9 miles one way. Last year I began riding my bike about 2 times/week. I am continuing to do that, and will hopefully increase the number of times I ride. I estimate I am saving nearly $5 each day that I bike, plus all the health and environment benefits. Otherwise, our driving doesn’t seem any less, especially with three kids in all sorts of different activities, we are always taking someone somewhere (and it’s usually too far to walk). My wife walks to work when she is at a school about 1 mile from our house, but otherwise she drives.
Jenny,
The transit option re college is HUGE.
When I was in undergrad, I drove round trip 468 miles to see my parents – in a giant ol’ Buick.
In grad school, which was more than 1000 miles round trip, I took Amtrak (parents still had to pick me up because parents’ town has no train). World of difference. Plus, stress level is so much better – I just sat on train and did HW, listen to music, read a book, etc.
Lance, I agree about the health benefits. I think so many Americans (myself included) live a terribly sedentary lifestyle. Walking to work is a great option when you can – I did it when I was pregnant with my first daughter (just 1 mile each way). Biking is, too. Hubby did it when he worked in Center City: no parking fees, no gas and he looked/felt a lot better.
I’ve been training to run an 8k (hooray!) and I have found that I am much more inclined now to want to walk places. It’s much healthier and less expensive. I feel great – and plan on treating myself with the money I’ve saved on buses, trains and gas!
I just moved from the Detroit area to the Minneapolis area for a new job and my commute went down from 16 miles to 1.5 miles. My timing was great. I used to drive about 18,000 miles a year including nearly monthly trips to see my family in Cleveland, but now I estimate that my driving will cut down to about 11,000 miles per year or less. With the near $4/gallon gas, that will save me about $1,000 a year in gas plus wear-and-tear.
Oh, and I’ll be riding my bike to work once I get my flat fixed on my bike.
I drive 0 miles a day – I walk to work – which makes it easy.
I’ve cut down use of my GMC truck (about 20 m.p.g.) unless I really need it to carry something (like a shopping trip to Costco or Home Depot). I havent driven the truck since Monday, and ride my Vespa Scooter(about 93 m.p.g.) for quick trips when I don’t need to carry anything. I do walk more. My parents house and my local grocery store are both only about 7 minutes of walking . Today, I’m going to go to see the Indiana Jones movie and will walk (about 35 minutes) instead of the usual drive downtown.
I drive about 125 miles a week. It costs $40+ to fill up my gas tank. Work is only 8 miles round trip. The rest is running around for home projects or outings with the wife.
I will be riding a motorcycle to work and as many errands as I can, weather permitting.
We are visiting my inlaws this weekend which will be a 300 mile round trip so we will have to suck it up and pay for gas.
The boat is going to stay in the garage probably for the summer.
We will be combining errands and cutting back on vacation trips.
Our tax rebate is going to be put aside for next winters heating bills.
I work two jobs. I moved much closer to my main job last year and now bike to one job 3 or 4 times per week. But I can’t bike when I work both jobs in the same day. The commute is just to far to make biking practical. I also bike as many errands as possible.
My second job and “stock up” shopping trips are the only things I use my car for now.
I would say at least 150 miles per week for work and then another 50 miles, probably for miscellaneous stuff. Probably costs me about $40 to fill my tank, once it gets empty. So maybe every week and a half or something. I am looking into getting a hybrid.
now let me see… here in England I’m paying £1.27 a litre (I guess thats about $9.50 for a US Gallon), and I do about 250 miles a week.
I have always been accustomed to, and required to drive long distances to work, for the priviledge of living on the coast. As a working retiree, my commute today is still 64 miles a day, 320 a week. Church and a meal in Wilmington (we live 20 miles north “in the woods”) adds another 80. A medical trip or two and that’s another 80. Almost 500 miles a week. Our Mariner and pickup used to be on the go all the time. The wife doesn’t drive as much anymore, and I only do the esssentials mentioned above.
Our biggest issue is availability. Twice in the past week, two of the three local stations were out of regular gas. Usually that happens when hurricanes have hit and interrupted supplies. Riding a bike to work for me is not an option. No public transit from here to there either.
Another hit besides the wallet, is the necessity to curtail trips to see our children and grandchildren. One family in Sumter, SC (about a $80-100 a trip); Kelly’s family in Philadelphia (about $200-300 a trip); youngest son in Groton, CN (about $400-500 a trip). Not easy on a shrinking retirement. Medical and food consume a larger portion due to gas prices.
I keep hearing folks say “when will the prices come down?” Wishful thinking? That is head in the sand thinking.
Greed comes in many forms. The oil execs are showing their kind and their “public service’ to their country. When will that change? Can it change? Independence from oil, and outside suppliers, and it doesn’t have to involve dealing under every rock on US soil (including Alaska). The real question is what will a majority of folks do when gas hits $7-8 a gallon/
It is up to the younger generation to insist on change, or the Depression will be looked at as a “party”.
The easiest solution is for you to move closer to Philadelphia. I’m just saying.
WE LIVE IN RURAL TEXAS, THE NEAREST CITY WITH ANY EMPLOYMENT BASE IS 90 MILES ROUND TRIP. THEREFORE AN AVERAGE WEEK IN MILES IS ABOUT 500. AND THIS DOES NOT COUNT FOR THE ADDITIONAL TRAVEL MILES NEEDED FOR WORK. WE HAVE NO ACCESS TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND ARE THEN REQUIRED TO TRAVEL TO AND FROM WORK. NO ONE HELPS US WITH THE COST OR PROVIDE LOW COST TRANSPORTATION FOR GROUPS OF TRAVELERS. WE HAVE TO RELY ON OUR ABILITIES TO OWN AND MAINTAIN OUR TRANSPORTATION, YET WE HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN ANY OFFSETTING INCOMES FOR THAT LOSS.
OUR EMPLOYERS REQUIRE THAT WE HAVE TRANSPORTATION AND UTILIZE THE TRANSPORTATION FOR THEIR US AS WELL AS OUR BACK AND FORTH EXPENSES.
AND, PEOPLE IN THE LARGER CITIES COMPLAIN THAT THEY TRAVEL 200 MILES PER WEEK.
JUST TRY TO TRAVEL LIKE RURAL AMERICANS ARE REQUIRED AND THEN COMPLAIN. EVERYTHING IS ABOUT THE BIG CITY COST.
WELL, WE HAVE FINALLY ALLOWED THE OIL COMPANIES TO DESTROY THE THE FARMERS AND RANCHERS WHO WERE PROVIDING FOOD FOR OUR COUNTRY. AND MR BUSH HAS NOT PROTECTED THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, ONLY ALLOWED HIS OIL BUDDIES TO EARN RECORD AMOUNT OF PROFITS.
THIS ON MEMORIAL DAY, I FOUGHT FOR MY COUNTRY ONLY TO GIVE EVERYTHING I HAVE OVER TO FOREIGN NATIONS IN OIL EXPENSES AND ANYTHING THAT I MIGHT HAVE HAD FOR PROFIT TO THE OIL COMPANIES. AND TODAY, EVEN WITH A REASONABLE PUBLIC SERVICE JOB, I CAN NOT AFFORD THE EVERYDAY NEEDS FOR MY FAMILY. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL???
LOU
I’d give up driving a car at all had Jacksonville, Florida a better public transportation system. We are way behind other major cities in America.
I live in myrtle beach, sc. It is not a small town but we still have almost NO public transportation. NONE!!! So although I wish I could cut down on driving, I can not and have not. I do not drive when it is not nessasary. But instead of driving less, I just ended up being more broke!