An idea for getting gas prices down.. please read!!

[kekica]

Hi all!
This is my first post so forgive me if I scr*w up....
Got this email at work today. It's an idea for getting gas prices down so please have a read.... (this email was even being circulated by upper management at my workplace!)




Subject: Lets Get the Price of Gas Down!!!
> > >
> > >
> > >Hey... I'm game for almost anything to keep my money out of the oil
> > >company's pockets.
> > >Read on people - This just might work:
> > >
> > >
> > >This sounds like it is more than worth a try!!!
> > >
> > >This idea may actually work. Give it some thought.
> > >
> > >"War On Gas"
> > >
> > >This was originally sent by a retired Coca Cola executive. It came from
>one
> > >of his engineer buddies who retired from Halliburton. It's worthy of
>our
> > >consideration.
> > >
> > >Join the resistance! I hear we are going to hit
>close to $1.50 a liter by
> > >summer and it might possibly go higher! Want gasoline prices to come
>down?
> > >We need to take some intelligent, united action. Phillip Hollsworth
>offered
> > >this good idea.
> > >
> > >This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain day"
> > >campaign that was going around earlier! The oil companies just laughed
>at
> > >that because they knew we wouldn't continue to "hurt" ourselves by
>refusing
> > >to buy gas. It was more of an inconvenience
> > >to us than it was a problem for them.
> > >
> > >BUT,
> > >whoever thought of this idea, has come up with a plan that can really
>work.
> > >Please read on and join with us! By now you're probably thinking
>gasoline
> > >priced at about $.79/litre is super cheap. Me too! It is currently
>$1.10
>
> > >for regular unleaded in my town. Now that the oil companies and the
>OPEC
> > >nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a liter of gas is
> > >CHEAP at $.79 - $.99, we need to take aggressive action to teach them
>that
> > >BUYERS control the marketplace..... not sellers. With the price of
>gasoline
> > >going up more each day, we consumers need to take action. The only way
>we
> > >are going to see the price of gas come down is if we hit someone in the
> > >pocketbook by not purchasing their gas! And, we can do that WITHOUT
>hurting
> > >ourselves. How? Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop
>buying
> > >gas. But we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together to
> > >force a price war.
> > >
> > >Here's the idea:
> > >Starting June 1 of 2007 DON'T
>purchase ANY gasoline from the biggest
> > >Company in Canada . Petro Canada ! If they are not selling any gas,
>they
> > >will be very quickly inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce
>their
> > >prices, theother companies will have to follow suit.
> > >Think about this. Petro Canada has 1500 retail locations and the entire
> > >country consumes 68 million gallons a day. Yes per day. And Petro
>Canada is
> > >Canada 's largest gasoline retailer, then doesn't it make sense that
>the
> > >consumer can bring this giant to its knees
> > >and force them to lower their prices.
> > >
> > >But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Petro
>Canada
> > >gas buyers. It's really simple to do! Now, don't wimp out at this
>point....
> > >keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to
>reach millions of people.
> > >
> > >I am sending this note to 30 people. If each of us sends it to at least
>ten
> > >more (30 x 10 = 300) ... and those 300 send it to at least ten more
>(300 x
> > >10 =3,000)...and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth group
>of
> > >people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers. If those
>three
> > >million pass it on to ten friends each, then 30 million people!!
> > >
> > >Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. That's all. (If
>you
> > >don't understand how we can reach 30 million and all you have to dois
>send
> > >this to 10 people....
> > >
> > >How long would all that take? If each of us sends this e-mail out to
>ten
> > >more people within one day of receipt, all 30 MILLION people could
> > >conceivably see this
>within the next 8 days!!!
> > >
> > >Acting together we can make a difference. If this makes sense to you,
> > >please don't by gas from Petro Canada UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO
>A
> > >REASONABLE PRICE AND KEEP THEM DOWN.

[bcteagirl]

Sounds like a decent idea to me, what do others think?
ps- Thanks for the post!

[travelgeek]

This will never work. The only way to get gas prices down is to reduce consumption. Most, if not all of the oil companies have 'switching' agreements in place such that they'll share and supply each other's stations. So what you don't buy from PC will just get supplied to the other stations that you bought from. In fact, this might actually raise prices as the other stations will see that there's no need to compete since they already have an increase in customers.

Anytime you see "forward this to X number of people....." chances are, it's a chain letter.

[alajen]

I have seen this note before, it is a chain letter. There is an "Esso" version and a "Shell" version.

I agree with cockroach. Don't know about the US, but in Canada all the major oil companies have switching/sharing agreements where the refineries share gas production. So, say in Montreal, there is a Shell refinery and a Petro-Canada refinery, so how does Esso or Ultramar sell gas? They buy from Shell/Petro-Canada and then add their "special ingredient additives" before they sell to the consumer.

If the consumer doesn't buy gas from Petro-Canada, they have to go somewhere else - Esso for example. So the demand moves over there, the station owner orders more gas from the refinery with zero impact on the gas price.

Since when does Canada set the price on gas? There is regulation in Maritime provinces, which is based on crude oil prices out of New York, which are set on a world basis.

Ever wonder why the government agrees with public opinion that gas costs too much but never does anything about it? Maybe because 35% of each litre goes to taxes....

More info can be found the evil oil company's site HERE

If we as a consumer want to have an impact on gas prices, we have to make more permanent, long-term choices. For example, choosing locally-grown foods to save transportation costs. Buying refills, concentrated liquids or powders instead of the full liquid version to save packaging and shipping costs. Buying vehicles that use less gas or that use diesel (biodiesel would be ideal).

[travelgeek]

Since when does Canada set the price on gas? There is regulation in Maritime provinces, which is based on crude oil prices out of New York, which are set on a world basis.

Correct. If you watch the business news reports, the department of energy reports the oil and gasoline inventories on a regular basis. The prices of Crude oil and RBOB wholesale unleaded gasoline futures react almost immediately to the news. So if demand goes down permanently, supply goes up. When supply goes up, prices come down.

If we as a consumer want to have an impact on gas prices, we have to make more permanent, long-term choices.

Many consumers love to complain about the price of gas, but aren't willing to make lifestyle sacrifices. Looking around, you still see....

-novelty purchases of SUV's and trucks
-drivers who are too lazy to get out of their car, and instead idle for 5-10-15 minutes at the drive thru.
-buy houses way out in the suburbs, and then commuting insane distances to work.

[blistex]

i totally agree with you there cockcroach!