Utah Gas Prices

Are you tired of paying too much at the gas pump? Would you like to do something, but don't have much confidence that your contributions will make a difference? Most folks agree that all the pockets along the petroleum supply chain respond primarily to one thing: money. The problem has been that people need to fill up their cars no matter how badly they feel they are getting cheated on price. Optimally, someone needs to rally all the consumers into one giant voting block... a block that votes with their wallets. That scenario however continues to prove elusive. Nobody has sufficiently rallied consumers into a contiguous voting block. Maybe we can all adopt behaviors that allow us to continue to function, but also serve to offer up a front of solidarity.

Let me say, I'm not a conservationist. Or rather, my interest is not as much in saving the earth as it is in sticking it to the man. I'm a consumer just like you. I'm not saying I wouldn't adopt conservationist methods, but rather that I'll only do so when they are balanced and provide a financial incentive, and don't require a sacrifice in life style I'm not prepared to make. I'm all about saving money, and attempting to preserve my quality of life at the same time. I suspect conservationists will see this as a cop-out or blasphemy, so, I apologize to any in the audience based on the fact that in this matter the economically inclined as well as the conservation inclined will cross paths. (What a great opportunity for us all to exchange notes and see if there isn't a broader middle ground on which we can all operate. Consumers could lend financial inertia to conservationist agendas. Conservationists could lend tactics and a moral center to consumers.) And now that I've alienated everybody... let me press on. :-)

Strategies for Sending a Message

Here are some suggestions that you could try that seem best suited to send a strong message but require very little central command. In other words... you can do these thing at a minimum of sacrifice for yourself, and yet they seem poised to send a message to anyone but the most utterly inept.

Pay only a certain amount for fuel

When you need to purchase gasoline, purchase a set dollar amount. For example if you buy $5.00 or $10.00 worth of gas, you potentially send a message. Basically, you are NOT filling up your tank, you are simply adding fuel under protest.

Buy only a specific number of gallons

This one has worked better for me. Since price is the primary variable, buy a specific number of gallons. Purchasing only 5 gallons sends a similar message as the price technique, but allows you as a driver to better stabilize how often you'll need to return and purchase gas under protest.

Fill-up when the price is right

As with teaching a child, offering a reward as positive association can reinforce desired behaviors. If you patronize a food mart when the price per gallon is acceptable to you, you help the bean counters to establish a baseline. A downward fluxuation in buying habits, from that baseline is what triggers businesses to take action to correct the problem. If all they see during higher than normal prices is consumers buying the same amount of gasoline and goods, all the bitching in the world won't be enough to strike the corporate conscience into an act of goodness.

Please share your comments and suggestions. Education is an empowering tool, and this is an opportunity to do just that. Best wishes for your success. Revolution!