By Dan Christiansen
Americans are all talking about the price of gasoline and now how much it costs to fill up their tank. They also realize that with the high price of diesel fuel, it is causing all the other items at the store to go up too. It is taking a bite out of everyone’s finances every time they make a purchase.
Everyone hopes that eventually the economy will settle down and gas prices will fall down respectfully. The problem is that according to an Associated Press article that came out this month that we shouldn’t count on it. They said that “Global demand for liquid fuels-mostly oil-will grow to 113 million barrels a day by 2030, nearly one-third more than is consumed today�. They believe Americans will cause an impact to help this though as well. They believe that 13 million less barrels a day will be needed because with the higher price of fuel, people will cut back on their needed driving.
Overall, the demand of fuel will keep going up because of other factors too. The associated press article said that “the steepest increases in energy use will come in China and other developing economies, including some in the Middle East & Africa, where energy demand is expected to be 85 percent greater in 2030 than it is today�.
With this being said, we as individuals focusing on our own finances need to be aware, and realize the days of $2.00 for a gallon of gasoline are probably not going to come back. We need to conserve, use cars with the best mileage and do all we can to cope with high prices and also look to alternatives. Everyone has their own theories of the big energy companies squashing miracle ways to help us propel us in our vehicles. Whether this is factual or not we need to look towards options we do have now and options that could be feasible in the future.
One area that is booming with individuals, is the purchase of cars that run exclusively on natural gas or that can be switched back and forth from natural gas to regular unleaded fuel. This is a viable solution right now with a few limititations. Compressed natural gas or CNG is very plentiful in the United States. This is the same natural gas that is used to warm our homes in different ways. The majority of the reserves of natural gas are located in the Rocky Mountains and some experts believe we have a 400 years supply. The comparable “gallon� of fuel can range anywhere from 0.85 to $2.55 depending on the state you purchase it in. This is still cheaper than the price of regular unleaded fuel anywhere is the US. This can mean substantial savings for the price of fuel.
By searching on the internet you can find all of the CNG gas stations in your area. Yes, there are fewer stations but the numbers are growing every year.
There are a variety of used vehicles on the market that can be purchased. They range from light pickup trucks to large cars like Ford’s Crown Victoria, to mid size cars like the Ford Contour and Toyota Camry, and to smaller cars like the Chevrolet Cavalier or the Honda Civic. As people realize how much they can save at the pump these older cars are shooting up in purchase price. You can also purchase a new car that is a dedicated CNG vehicle. The only one offered right now is the Honda Civic GX. Hopefully other manufactures will start making new CNG vehicles as well. When you buy a new CNG vehicle you will also get a $4000 dollar federal tax credit and some states have other credits too.
One can also get an installer to convert your car to natural gas as well. There is a hefty price tag of $7000-$8000 to have the job done but then you can run your vehicle on both CNG or regular fuel. You would want to calculate how much you would save, in running on CNG to factor how long it would take to make up the cost to convert the vehicle. A government website to help you calculate this is http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/sbs.htm .This government website also has links to other details and incentives for alternative types of fuels. Hydrogen vehicles are another alternative to using unleaded fuel. These types of vehicles are just starting to be used sparingly in a experimental way, but it will take many years for these types of vehicles to be economically a viable option for most consumers.
Look to natural gas though for an option to the high price of fuel and to help promote energy sources that come from the United States.
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