Reduce gas prices by not buying from ESSO or SHELL? Yes or No??

Question

With the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to take action.

The only way we are go ing 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: For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies,

ESSO and Shell.

If they are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit.

But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Esso and Shell gas buyers. It's really simple to do! Now, don't wimp out on me at this point...keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!

DO YOU THINK THIS'LL WORK??

Answer 1

Here is the equation:

No demand + huge supply = low prices

High demand + huge supply = high prices

greed + avarice = despicably high profits

I refuse to give in to the demand part of this equation; I commute 120 miles to work and back; so I have begun filling my van on Monday, driving to work and sleeping in my van M-Th nights and driving home after work on Friday.  To heck with the entire oil cartel establishment.  I refuse to buy any more of their gas than I have to.

And, I drive 65 mph on freeways, and use cruise control.  It saves at least 14% on gas mileage.

Answer 2

It may, but the question is, are we going to do that. Average American are lazy, we tent to buy gas from the nearest station.

Answer 3

Those types of boycotts never work.  The oil companies are not our enemies.  Taxes and government restrictions are big problems as well as hedge fund speculators.

The solution is more oil, more drilling, more refining.  This will lower the price while demand is high.

Meanwhile, let's continue to work on alternatives for transportation.

We'll always need oil to make plastics and the millions of other products made from oil, but we can find new ways to propell cars.

One way is seawater.  There's a lot of new ideas on the horizon, but until that day comes, we need to get as much oil out of the ground now to get us by until the alternatives are viable.

Even if a new fuel were found tomorrow, it would take decades to get it all over the world and it will be very expensive to start with.

Answer 4

No, this does not work.

BTW, Exxon is way bigger than Esso or Shell.

Supply and demand controls the price.  We have little to control over supply.  We have absoulte control over demand.  Drive less, buy a more fuel efficient car, a hybrid, something that can burn E85 ethanol, or a diesel (and burn bio-diesel).  Use less oil, plain and simple.  Oh, and get these people who heat their homes with fuel oil to switch to something that doesn't use oil.

Answer 5

You do realize that the government makes more off of a gallon of gas than the oil companies do and that oil companies only make about a 10% return on there investment where credit card companies usally make 30% or more. Just something to think about.

Answer 6

Will not work because the price of oil is based on world wide demand, but the supply coming from a particular company. If I were to do that,  would boycott Citco, since that fimr is owned by the Venezualian governement, and they hate America almost as much as the Iranians do.

There are a number of things that can be done about gas prices. The problem is that there are political, environmental, and legal issues that would have to be overcome to make it happen.

First, we need to reduce dependence on imported oil. As a world wide commodity, changes in oil demand anywhere in the world will impact our prices here. We could reduce oil imports by increasing the use of ethanol. Currently something like 25% of the US corn crop goes to this. However, the downside is that this takes corn out of the stockpile for food (both human and animal feed), which is currently causing famine to break out around the world. We could expand domestic supply, but hat means drilling for oil off the Gulf coast and in a part of ANWAR, which has environmentalists up in arms.

Second, we could improve the distribution of fuel in the US. Currently, there are dozens of gas blends, all mandated by law. It is a tricky thing to supply just enough of each blend, as you cannot use a blend intended for, say, Colorado, in California. So if California goes in need, oil companies cannot shift inventory, they have to shut down refineries, make adjustments, and make more of the California blend. This is a wasteful and expensive process. Far better to have a single blend that all the states can agree on that would allow the fluidity needed in the market. But this is going to be difficult to impossible as the states want THEIR blend and will fight any kind of Federal mandate.

Third, I think we need to encourage those things which will get us away from oil consumption. Not much oil is used for electricity generation, but it can and should be replaced by more efficient, cleaner sources. But nuclear, coal, solar, wind, and hydroelectric all have their own problems as well and each industry will fight hard for their slice of the pie. Most oil is used for vehicle fuel. We need to move to more efficient vehicles and alternative fuel / hybrids, but they are often more expensive than gasoline powered vehicles and some alternate power sources do not have the power necessary for today’s driving. Research needs to be done in fuel cell technology, advanced batteries, and efficient (and safe) hydrogen generation.

I think too many people focus on one thing (conservation, more oil drilling, whatever) and think that alone will solve our problem. They are wrong. It will take a comprehensive approach were everyone will have to give a little for the greater good. Rep. Kennedy is going to have to sacrifice some of his coastal view in MA for wind turbines. Oil companies are going to be allowed to develop domestic sources. States are going to have to grant the feds the power to set uniform fuel standards. This is a lot to ask for, but this and more is what it will take. Anything less then an across the board rethinking of our energy policy will be like slapping a band-aid on a cut artery; just too little to be effective. And if it is ineffective, then expect the President of Iran to be correct when he says that oil is a strategic resource that needs to find its true (and in his mind MUCH higher) price. This is the guy that thinks $200 a barrel for oil is not unreasonable.

Answer 7

That's what I have been saying for some time now, if we boycott one oil company for 1 month, it will work because they will have to lower there prices to make room for the inventory coming in, Lets say company A is selling gas and company B is not, then company B will lower there price to beat company A price, then there are price wars between company A and B... Lets just say we try for June 1st for the boycott

Answer 8

No it won't work.  Do you mean Exxon?

Answer 9

No it won't work.

cars, are not the only pterol cusomters. Industry as a whole is petrol dependant/   our power comes frmo gas, all our goods and foods require gas to make.

The manufacturing sector is not going to shut down for the day.  Nor are any promary or secondary industries.   So poeple will still be using gas.

Answer 10

Good idea!!!....But good luck on reaching the millions of people you need to reach.

Answer 11

It won't work.

for starters if you boycott one oil company and not cut the demand. There would be long lines and shortages at the other gas stations. All the gas basically comes from one place. The oil companies you are boycotting would just sell their gas to the ones you are not boycotting.

The problem is that the price of gas is based on simple  economics. Supply and demand. Low supply and high demand means high price. High supply and low demand means low price. We have control over the demand. Opec (the middle eastern coountries where we get most of our oil) has control over the supply. They could cut supply enough to send the price of gas to $10 or $12 a gallon or more. It would shut this country down. We depend on their oil. We have to find a way to do without their oil.

Answer 12

i don't think its an good idea the reason for price hike its our government teaching us not to depend on foreign oil