Fuel prices may be at a 5 year low right now, but it’s only a matter of time before the oil barons get greedy again. I was thinking about that this very morning, when the news came on the radio about strikes at some oil refineries in Scotland, and I thought, “here we go again”. This is exactly the excuse the oil industry was looking for to get prices up again, with oil workers on strike it creates the illusion that oil is now in short supply. The way the whole oil industry regulates its own pricing, reminds me of the old salesman’s trick of ‘We’ve only got 50 left and we’re not entirely sure if we can get anymore? so we want top dollar for these!’ It still amazes me that the general public think that the oil industry actually knows how much oil there is left in the world? Scientist’s don’t even know what’s at the bottom of the deep sea yet, never mind what’s below the sea bed. With the sea covering two-thirds of this blob we live on, i’m fairly well convinced they’re just taking wild stabs in the dark with guestimates. When I think back to 20 years ago, scientists then (commissioned and funded by oil barons) were predicting that we would run out of oil in the next 20-25 years, they’re still singing the same tune today with estimates of 20-25 years. They just beef up the price of oil by creating the illusion of scarcity, it would’nt surprise me if they had paid someone to instigate the damn strike themselves! I also think that Gordon Brown won’t be too happy about the strike, as he’s working hard to keep prices down, how else will the economy recover? Oh yeh, if we all just ‘get up to our eyeballs in debt’ and use our credit card’s ‘like it’s free’, the economy will recover just fine. I almost soiled myself yesterday, when a newsreader on ITV (uk news channel) announced that the government may be about to announce that we’re ‘officially in a recession’. I think the banks collapsing around us and billions being lost on the stock market were a big clue!
Posts tagged Billions
How Choosing The Right Tires Make A Huge Difference
2008
Written by admin
Most people don’t realize that having the right tires can improve fuel savings. But it’s true. And you probably haven’t paid enough attention to the tires you have on your vehicle.
You’re probably paying more than you should for gas because your tires are hurting your fuel consumption. Add to that the fact that it’s hard to know which tires will be more efficient, and it’s a recipe for poor fuel mileage.
Hopefully, this will be soon be recified, because the federal government has decided that tire manufacturers must start labeling tires for fuel efficiency. This program would create a national labeling system that would rate the energy efficiency of tires.
To date, the government program hasn’t made much progress. Industry watchdogs claim that tire companies are stalling, but the manufacturers say they’ve spent millions of dollars on the research and development of tires that are fuel efficient.
You’ll find that tires today are more efficient today than they were in the 1970s. Radial tires have improved tire efficiency, and there have been many advances in tread patterns. Rolling resistance, (the power that is lost as rolling tires flex and change shape), has also been reduced by as much as 50%.
Unfortunately, efficiency can still vary by as much as half from tire to tire, reducing fuel economy by more than 10 percent. And experts believe the mandated minimum standards should help reduce the amount of gasoline used in the US by billions of gallons.
Until those minimum standards actually appear, though, you will have no way of knowing which tire will deliver the most fuel efficiency for your vehicle. Until labeling arrives, the best you can do is remember these tips from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Your tires should be properly inflated. Check the manufacturer’s psi recommendations. You’re mileage will improve when your tires are inflated to the right psi. Make sure not to test the pressure in cold or hot tires.
If you’re in the market for new tires, think about replicating your original brand and model. Auto manufacturers usually choose the most efficient tires possible for their new cars.
Stay away from special wheels for your truck or car. Wider tires touch the road with more friction, and oversize wheels and rims weigh more. Your fuel efficiency will be reduced.
Only replace your tires when they need it. To test the tread, turn a penny and put Lincoln’s head upside down. Then stick the penny in the tire tread groove. If the top of his head is noticeable, replace the tires.
Fill tires with air, and not nitrogen. There is no conclusive proof that nitrogen improves either tire wear or mileage, so it’s not worth the cost.
If you see that the tire tread is uneven, take your car in for servicing to determine the problem. You could have alignment, balance, or parts issues.
Use snow tires in a snowy climate and drive slow to increase efficiency. Don’t buy rain tires if you live in a dry climate.
By choosing the right tires, you’ll be sure to improve your fuel efficiency.
Want another great tip on how to improve fuel economy for your vehicle? Click Here for my best one – and cheaper than a new set of tires, too!
Energy Prices double what they should be
2008
Written by admin
There have been some alarming statistics bandied about of late. Hundreds of billions of taxpayers’ money here, the odd trillion there.
But I think the figures I’ve just heard on the radio this evening have shocked me the most.
In File on 4’s investigation of the gas market, they quoted source after source who said that UK energy prices are much higher than they ought to be.
Effectively, it tells a story of how liberalising the market has thus far done the very opposite of what it was supposed to do.
And the net result? [Warning: you might want to throw off that extra thick woolly jumper, else you'll boil].
Well, according to the former head of energywatch, the official regulator that expired earlier this month, if the market was properly competitive we’d see energy bills between a third and 50% lower – perhaps £400 less per year.
400 quid.
And this at a time when the big energy suppliers are making profits dwarfed only by the unprecedented sums being pumped into the banking system.
Elsewhere in the File on Four investigation – which is well worth a listen in full – it suggests that there’s been little incentive for the private sector to invest in new power stations or gas storage facilities, both of which would bring down prices.
Is it any wonder that Marx is trendy again?
And anyone know where I can buy shares in his publisher?
IMAGE by Flickr user Stig Nygaard
