What are you paying for gas?

[Alfadog]

did you mean whining (only 1 "g")

we are aren't. Just comparing differences around the LARGE country.

Sorry - whine, not whinge. Got to get the terminology right!!!!!

P.S. did you mean "aren't", not "are aren't"?

[240znz]

1 litre of 96 (yes we get the good stuff) will set you back NZ$1.30 here in New Zealand. That's US$3.99 per gallon.

It was NZ$1.00 6 months ago. The NZ goverment creams off an extra 6 million NZ$ a day in extra tax JUST on the GST content (12.5%). GST = Goods and Services Tax.

Those poor POMES (the ones who invented WHINGING), have 17.5%VAT ON TOP of there pump prices.....I'm glad I don't live there anymore.

[Walter Moore]

The pump prices here change twice a day. There seem to be a ripple effect, as stations raise their price, lose business to a lower competetor, lower their prices to try and get some business back, and then have to raise their price again to make money...

I have seen $1.91/gal to $2.08/gal over the past week... sometimes at the same station.

Oh, and for those outside the U.S., back when gas was selling here for $1.00/gal taxes were about 35% of that price, where as in some places I have read that taxes account for nearly 90% of the price. Just an observation, not an excuse or a jab.

Our taxes haven't gone up, so the difference between then and now is mostly oil prices.

[Bambikiller240]

I- why are petrol prices rising in the USA moreso than other western countries (if this is what you are insinuating)?

Nope, not saying that, just meant that the reason your (and other countries) current prices are different than in USA is largely due to taxes.

The daily price increases that we are experiencing are due to matters that have almost nothing to do with taxes. Your country (and others) may also be experiencing some of this. (I don't know)

yes, meant "aren't", not "are aren't".

[Alfadog]

Do you know what these matters actually are though? I thought the price of oil was international so there must be something else..? Please excuse my ignorance

(question open to anyone!)

[mayolives]

Myrtle Beach, SC

87 1.87

Mid Grade 1.96

93 2.05

VP unleaded 101 Race Fuel 6.50

[sblake01]

Myrtle Beach, SC

87 1.87

Mid Grade 1.96

93 2.05

VP unleaded 101 Race Fuel 6.50

Driving a Z regardless of that. . . .priceless!

(I'm sorry, I couldn't resist)

[Bambikiller240]

Do you know what these matters actually are though? I thought the price of oil was international so there must be something else..? Please excuse my ignorance

(question open to anyone!)

Yes, the market forces are generally of an international bent. As I said, other countries may be experiencing them ( to a greater or lessor degree) as we are.

When I said that the price differences between OZ , UK, etc and the USA are largely based on differences in taxes applied to gasoline by our respective governments, I was refering to the situation explained (more eloquently) by Walter Moore.

Since you asked........I'll WHINE......

IMO, the gas price hikes we are seeing are caused by several things. (in no particular order) The increasing international demand for petroleum (like China, for one example), unbridled speculation (greed) in the "futures" market where oil prices are bid higher and higher, greed of the US oil refiners who raise the "at pump prices" before the oil purchased at a higher price even reaches our shores. Lastly, the little excusion into Iraq (by our foolish leaders) which has done a great deal to destabilize the Middle East (where a significant portion of our oil imports originate.

END OF WHINE (I'm not getting drawn into a debate about whether I'm right or not. Others may live in a different "fantasyland" than the one I live in.)

[sblake01]

We all remember what happened to gas prices here right after 9-11.

[Alfadog]

Thankyou Carl! Yes, we are suffering from all of those factors too. I was thinking, how about those recent hurricanes? Linky. It happened a while ago now, I wonder if they have recovered by now... Also, the exchange rate must have a pretty big impact - probably moreso for other countries than the US.. depends, how much of your own oil do you produce?

Something for interest - Australia produces around 70% of it's oil consumption.

[zztom]

Here in Upstate NY it is $2.45 for diesel. Aaarrrggghhh :stupid: :stupid:

[Bambikiller240]

Thankyou Carl! Yes, we are suffering from all of those factors too. I was thinking, how about those recent hurricanes? Linky. It happened a while ago now, I wonder if they have recovered by now... Also, the exchange rate must have a pretty big impact - probably moreso for other countries than the US.. depends, how much of your own oil do you produce?

Something for interest - Australia produces around 70% of it's oil consumption.

Alfa:

I've heard various estimates for how much of our oil consumption is domesticly produced. Sadly, the numbers are not high. The numbers I have heard bounced around are in the neighborhood of 2/3 of our consuption is supplied from foreign producers, and 1/3 of consuption produced domesticly. Even the oil we produce in Alaska is shipped to other countries like Japan to feed the greed of the oil companies. Our country really needs to work on this. Dependence on foreign oil is a huge problem for this country and results in our government making strange bedfellows with some really unsavory governments around the world. (Not to mention providing an excuse to park thousands of our young men and women half way around the world where they are dying every day)

The huricanes may have an impact on gasoline supplies in the Eastern and Southern parts of the USA, but not in California. Our (CA) politicians have mandated a far different recipe for gasoline than is used in most (if not all) other states of the union.

California's gas is produced solely within our state. Which is part of the reason that our gas prices are typically higher than other areas of the country. In most other states, if supplies fall, gas from neighboring states can be brought in to fill the shortfall. In CA that can't happen because the refineries in other states are not set up to produce the "recipe" that is mandated in CA. When our California supply gets low, we are up sh*t creek without a paddle.........and here come the oil companies to jack up the prices even further than they do in other area of the country.