Reduce Idaho Falls Gas Use and Price Gouging
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More than any tiny gas savings we could achieve with currently available methods, more than anything we need to reduce gas spending and gas consumption simply by reducing gasoline use.
Try biking. Try walking. Try carpooling. Try waiting and consolidating shopping trips. Try asking if some days can be worked from home. Try to reduce consumption, if even just a little.
If you must use gas, then how can we cut costs?
I’ve heard we don’t get ripped off by local stations so much when gas prices rise (that’s the world oil companies ripping us off), but we do get ripped off more as gas prices subside and some local stations try to milk out a little more profit.
You can check daily how our local gas prices compare. When I first saw the map, only Bonneville and Ada counties had higher gas prices. Today I looked and Idaho prices were pretty even.
Here’s a trick on that gas price map: scroll your mouse wheel to zoom in to the street-level Google map. Notice some stations’ prices are identified? HawaiianGuy and ScubaSteve are carrying the load for Idaho Falls. More folks should report gas prices they see, thus making this resource even more useful for everyone around here.
Generally I’ve experienced that WINCO, Flying J, and Maverick stations are the cheapest around Idaho Falls. What do you think?
Here are six gas-saving myths vs. facts that essentially say we should avoid excessive idling and aggressive driving.
Of course you could make your own ethanol to dilute your gas (supposedly same efficiency but cheaper cost). Interestingly enough, the same ethanol kit makes moonshine liquor.
Anyone have any experiences with the various gas-saving devices or add-ons or chip reprograms?
BTW, please stop sending those “don’t buy gas on this day” emails, the concept is emotional not logical and the emails are as annoying as spam or chain emails.
What do you think? Anyone know how to install a vegetable oil engine?
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Comments
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0 
0 I’ll leave it. 8^)
Not everyone plays the generalized version you describe. Fuel prices keep rising because of the demand pressures (supply and demand, basic economic principle). If we can lessen the demand pressure, prices will steady or fall.
Not driving your vehicle once or twice a week can help reduce the demand pressure, and your vehicle won’t collect dust by that small reduction.
Personally I don’t smoke and do brew my own home coffee, so folks like me will have to do more than your generalization.
I’ve been trying to consolidate shopping trips, and I think that can be a good help towards reducing consumption. We do try to use our more efficient car rather than our truck when and wherever possible.
I’m going to try riding my bike at least once or twice per week. Nothing major, but a little bit helps.
I’m not proselytizing going all green man ya gotta go solar and cook your own waste man. 8^) I’m just saying if we can reduce a day’s worth of driving throughout our week, the demand will go down and the prices will fall also.
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0 0 Since the 1950s the technology has been available to increase the efficiency of gas engines. I learned about this in high school physics….problem is that the technology has been bought up and stored away to increase the profits of some other corporations. Congress can take a good step and increase fuel efficiency standards of trucks, RV’s and others. This will reduce the demand for gas and bring the price down a wee bit.
Second, we need to be able to drill for more oil in the Arctic and in the Gulf of Mexico. We had chances to drill near to Cuba but it was blocked by environmental laws. Now the Chinese are moving into drill. Environmentalists are killing us…literally with their politically correct stances.
Gas prices in the US are less than half (or more) of that in Europe and other places. I think gas is hovering around $7 a gallon in Japan and around $6 in Great Britan. Comparably, the US has cheap gas.
Vote:
0 0 Hmmm, the technology is there but it’s been hidden away? That sounds like a conspiracy theory. Kind of like global warming.
Vote:
0 0 I heard the same thing prob 20 years ago. Just did a search and this is what I came up with. It is possible to get 100 mpg on a single tank of gas. But of course the oil companies and the auto makers would hate that wouldn’t they? There goes all their profits!
http://www.himacresearch.com/
http://www.himacresearch.com/books/secret4.html
http://www.himacresearch.com/books/secret5.html
Vote:
0 0 I read those links but they didn’t impress me very much. The first linked page was last updated five and a half years ago, the others don’t say but most of the links don’t work. I have also heard this story many times. In my opinion it is just an urban legend.
I don’t understand why some of the same people who believe this fuel mileage conspiracy don’t believe there is global warming. It seems to me that they give more weight to the opinion of one guy trying to sell books and snake oil than the opinion of 90% of the world’s scientists.
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0 0 What amazes me is how so many people can be so blinded by our government and big business into actually beleiving we are only capable of having a 40mpg auto at best, and not possibly think there’s a way, after 40 years, to improve on those numbers. The technology is there, but why would gas/oil companies, let alone auto makers want us to have that information or even provide it to us? Perhaps a loss of billions and billions of profit dollars each year? But I guess that’s not enough reason to surpress something like this huh? People lie, cheat, steal and kill for money, but it would never happen to the American public…OH NO! Give me a break!
And one more thing…..those same people aren’t saying there isn’t global warming occuring….their just saying it’s not being caused by earths inhabitants. There’s a difference.
Vote:
0 0 I thought I read in the PR several years ago a mechanic out in south-central Idaho somewhere invented a pendulum-type device to restrict gas flows and save you tons of money, but I never found out his details and never heard of his product afterwards.
Anyone know places in our region where we can get gas-saving devices?
Has anyone experienced better gas mileage after reprogramming their truck’s engine computer chip?
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0 0 printer ink is about a million times more expensive per gallon than gasoline. now theres a cartel we need to bust
where are the resources to track the cheapest inkjet sources?
Vote:
0 0 starbucks coffee is also a couple hundred times more expensive than gas but you see ppl grateful to pay that while they complain about the relatively cheaper gas
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0 0 Good point regarding the ink cartridges!
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0 0 Sorry for straying from the Gas Prices topic, but I had to add my two cents about ink cartridges.
I must own about 4 or 5 cheap printers now, because I was so ticked off about having to buy ink cartridges that cost as much as I originally paid for the printer, that I started just buying closeout printers instead, usually for about 20 bucks. Including the cartridge!
I know I’m getting ripped off when they charge more for an ink cartridge, than a printer with ink cartridge included.
Vote:
0 0 That’s why you can purchase a brand new color printer for under a hundred bucks these days, because they know they’ll get their money back from the ink.
Vote:
0 0 I have started buying a generic brand ink cartridge that is half the price of the HP brand. It works just as good, I have not noticed any difference in the quality.
I also know a few people who have started using the refillable cartridges and they seem to like them too.
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Vote:
Sorry but it just won’t happen. Its good to talk about, but when it comes down to it, people will NOT bike or walk to work. Especially in a town that is not pedestrian friendly such as Idaho Falls. People want the freedom of driving their own cars to work, so carpooling is out too. Most people do not live next to their co-worker, so you’re going to spend all that money you think you’re saving, driving across town to pick them up or drop them off. It’s ridiculous! I’ve lived in a number of big cities over the years and all those “car-pool” lanes were a waste and hardly anyone used them. We need to just accept that the price if fuel is rising and get over it already. We still have cheaper gas than most countries, so what are we whining about? If you can’t afford fuel, than try this: Don’t buy that pack of cigarettes that you don’t really need anyways. Don’t buy that expensive coffee that you have no problem paying 4 bucks a cup for! There are so many other little things you can cut back on in your daily life that will help you afford your weekly fuel consumption. People need to just stop whining and do it. I’m so sick of hearing how we need to start walking or riding our bikes to work. Give me a break! I spent too much money on my vehicle to have it sit at home and collect dust. If you can’t afford to drive YOUR vehicle, try buying one that gets better gas mileage. OR try getting a better paying job. The fact of the matter is, the price of gas will never go back down to 1.50 or even 2.00 a gallon. As soon as we all accept that the better off we’ll all be.
Thats my opinion. Take it or leave it.