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Gas is grass

All through my high school years I was a part-time pump jockey, and if I may be so bold, the best in the neighbourhood. Nobody left a windshield more streak-free, or found the latches to open the hoods on foreign cars more quickly than I.

All through my high school years I was a part-time pump jockey, and if I may be so bold, the best in the neighbourhood. Nobody left a windshield more streak-free, or found the latches to open the hoods on foreign cars more quickly than I.

From my perch at the pumps, I noticed an interesting dichotomy among drivers – some always looked at the price per litre while others did not.

I always preferred the second type, the people who came for good service, good conversation and sometimes let you keep the change. They didn’t get worked up over a few pennies here and there.

The price-watchers were a strange group. When the price of gas was low – and we’re talking 49.9 cents, they would fill right up and get me to give the nozzle a few extra squeezes for good measure. When gas prices were high – and we’re talking 54.9 cents – they would ask for 25 litres exactly, the bare minimum to qualify for the free Olympic glasses, car wash coupons, windshield wiper fluid jugs, double air miles, or whatever promotion was being offered by head office.

Despite the fact that I would wash windows, headlights, check oil, transmission fluid, radiator fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid and tire pressure – for free I might add – some of these customers even complained that our prices were a rip-off, being about 1.5 cents higher than the self-serve station down the road.

On slow days I would do the math in my head. Choosing to go to the self-serve station driving a car with a 60-litre tank saved a person all of 90 cents. If said customer filled up every two weeks on average, that’s a measly $23.40 a year saved for what amounts to a massive inconvenience – getting out of your car, figuring out whatever automated pump system a station uses, lining up to pay, and most likely driving off without checking any of the fluids, something which no doubt costs some people more in the long run.

I wonder what those pump watchers are doing now that gas has actually broken the $1.30 mark, albeit temporarily, and fluctuates by large amounts on an almost daily basis. Do they continue to fill up a meagre 25 litres at a time, waiting for the prices to go lower, but at the same time not really knowing how low prices will actually go? Or have they finally decided to "screw it" and stop counting every fraction of a cent at the pumps?

Personally, I’m thrilled that gas prices are through the roof because nobody can afford to ignore their impact any more, and because nobody can fool themselves that they’re saving money by nickel and diming here and there. I do feel badly for people who drive for a living, or who have to drive large vehicles for any reason, but there are so many other benefits to these record prices.

For one, as a result of Hurricane Katrina and rising gas prices, people are taking a more serious look at global climate change, the war in Iraq, and their own albeit small contribution to the world’s problems. We are also forced to recognize the growing economic power of India and China, and the fact that the western world no longer calls the shots.

Another reason I like the higher prices is that people are starting to think small again – smaller homes, smaller cars, smaller appliances, and anything and everything to save money on fuel. They’re taking the bus to work, buying fuel-efficient cars, and generally adjusting their habits to live in the less wasteful world of the future.

Lastly, oil prices called attention to the once ignored concept of peak oil, and the fact that demand is rising faster than the supply. In other words, the days of cheap oil are likely dead forever, and prices will continue to rise as corporations and nations try to lock up the remaining oil fields. That in turn has been good for creating serious interest and investment in alternative fuels and energy technologies – once thought to be too expensive to be viable, but no longer.

If you’re just waking up to the high prices and want to get out of the cost and guilt spiral, here’s a few websites to help you figure out your next move.

www.fueleconomy.gov – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency did the world a favour by creating this site, which gives comparative fuel mileage statistics of almost every car on the road, going back about 10 years. Other features include gas mileage tips, information on new technologies, lists of the best and worst cars for fuel economy and more. There is also a tool for figuring out the exact fuel economy of your own car – tire pressure, the terrain you drive in, idling habits, etc. are different for every driver, and the averages given by the manufacturers and EPA are kept as general as possible.

www.smart.com – It’s not available in the U.S. yet, though definitely coming soon, but the Mercedes-Benz-built Smart Car is the most fuel-efficient vehicle on the market today. For more information, visit www.smart.com.

< www.bchydro.com – B.C. Hydro has put an amazing array of resources together for people who want to save on their home energy costs, at least when it comes to electric appliances.

http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca – This is the Office of Energy Efficiency at Natural Resources Canada. Here you’ll find useful information on reducing home gas use, as well as lowering overall energy consumption.

These sites are only a starting point, but next time you’re cursing the prices at the pump they should give you something else to think about.