And The Americans Think Their Gasoline Is Expensive

[L3ggy]

Most expensive places to buy gas Price per gallon
1. Bosnia-Herzegovina $10.86
2. Eritrea $9.58
3. Norway $8.73
4. United Kingdom $8.38
5. Netherlands $8.37
6. Monaco $8.31
7. Iceland $8.28
8. Belgium $8.22
9. France $8.07
10. Germany $7.86
111. United States $3.45

Seriously, you're lucky.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/01/news...ex.htm?cnn=yes

About the topic at hand though, I think the oil prizes can get out of hand in the next few years. Honestly, it could damage a lot of economies for countries that do not have a sufficient supply of their own and even trigger another global crisis.

 

[ArabJames]

notice all the prices are in US dollars
the exchange rate/currency/whatever you want to call it is different...their currency is probably worth morth than the dollar

 

[octavian17360]

something shady goin on here

now all of the sudden we are globally out of oil............oops........who knew

 

[senob44]

notice all the prices are in US dollars
the exchange rate/currency/whatever you want to call it is different...their currency is probably worth morth than the dollar

As long as current currency exchange rates are used, it is already factored in that their currency is worth more than the dollar. :dunno:

 

[dick van cock]

notice all the prices are in US dollars
the exchange rate/currency/whatever you want to call it is different...their currency is probably worth morth than the dollar

The difference lies in taxation. Fuel taxes are way higher in Europe (partly with the aim to curtail consumption -> ecology)

 

[Nomad 800]

3. Norway $8.73

I thought Norway was swimming in oil. Why the hell are their prices so high? Taxes I assume.

 

[Friday on my mind]

The difference lies in taxation. Fuel taxes are way higher in Europe (partly with the aim to curtail consumption -> ecology)

Also isn't it that besides the UK with their off shore oil isn't it that the europeans have to import almost all of their oil products DVC?.The US has to import 60% of its usage but we also started out with a lot of our own it just was outstripped by the consumption rate.

 

[ArabJames]

notice all the prices are in US dollars
the exchange rate/currency/whatever you want to call it is different...their currency is probably worth morth than the dollar

exactly....but with the exchange....$8 to them is like 4 for us

 

[dick van cock]

Also isn't it that besides the UK with their off shore oil isn't it that the europeans have to import almost all of their oil products DVC?.The US has to import 60% of its usage but we also started out with a lot of our own it just was outstripped by the consumption rate.

There is offshore production on a large scale in the North Sea by the UK, Holland and Norway. Nomad is absolutely right:

3. Norway $8.73

I thought Norway was swimming in oil. Why the hell are their prices so high? Taxes I assume.

About two thirds of the gas price in Germany account for taxes. We import mainly from Russia. Oftentimes Russian oil fields are exploited by Russian-German joint ventures. So, we are not as dependent on imports as it appears to be.

 

[stainedblueyes]

When i bought my current car Diesel was just a tad cheaper than petrol, filled up this afternoon at the supermarket and it was still 122 p, compared to 111 for petrol Curse my soot making vegetable oil loving pollution machine!

 

[marquis2]

The difference lies in taxation. Fuel taxes are way higher in Europe (partly with the aim to curtail consumption -> ecology)

No. Ecology gives them a good excuse for raising revenue. The high price won't curtail consumption .People don't buy it for fun.

 

[Bigoldowls]

Petrol (Gasoline) is taxed very highly here in the UK.

 

[Friday on my mind]

No. Ecology gives them a good excuse for raising revenue. The high price won't curtail consumption .People don't buy it for fun.

From the link from AfA's similar thread "Why Gas in the U.S. Is So Cheap".
http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/104996/Why-Gas-in-the-U.S.-Is-So-Cheap


"Gas consumption Europe vs. U.S. There is some evidence Europe's high gas taxes have capped its oil consumption.

Oil use in the United Kingdom has basically stayed flat from 1980 to now, while in France it's dropped 17%, according to figures from the Energy Information Administration.

In the U.S., meanwhile, oil use is up 21% over the same period, although the country has added more people and seen its economy grow slightly faster.

Americans have taken advantage of cheap gas prices to do other things - like buy bigger cars and bigger houses further away from city centers, said Schipper.

On a per capita basis, Americans use three times more oil than Europeans, he said. That means Americans are more exposed to rising gas prices than their counterparts across the Atlantic.

"Five-thousand square feet in the suburbs, that's much rarer in Europe," said Schipper, referring to big homes. "We dug our hole."


Americans consumption rate is 3 times more than Europeans.The higher prices due to taxes mainly for sure plays a major part in that.Countries use tax policy all the time to eitheir encourage or discourage things.So-called sin taxes(cigarettes as an example) are used this way.Because of the lower prices as the story pointed out people were encouraged to buy bigger houses cars etc.,higher prices will encourage the opposite.Just look at how new demand since 1980 in the UK has been flat and demand actually declined in France 17% while it increased 21% in the US.
And I'm not sure that when the taxes were initiated in Europe the enviorment was even a major concern yet.

 

[marquis2]

From the link from AfA's similar thread "Why Gas in the U.S. Is So Cheap".
http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/104996/Why-Gas-in-the-U.S.-Is-So-Cheap


"Gas consumption Europe vs. U.S. There is some evidence Europe's high gas taxes have capped its oil consumption.

Oil use in the United Kingdom has basically stayed flat from 1980 to now, while in France it's dropped 17%, according to figures from the Energy Information Administration.

In the U.S., meanwhile, oil use is up 21% over the same period, although the country has added more people and seen its economy grow slightly faster.

Americans have taken advantage of cheap gas prices to do other things - like buy bigger cars and bigger houses further away from city centers, said Schipper.

On a per capita basis, Americans use three times more oil than Europeans, he said. That means Americans are more exposed to rising gas prices than their counterparts across the Atlantic.

"Five-thousand square feet in the suburbs, that's much rarer in Europe," said Schipper, referring to big homes. "We dug our hole."


Americans consumption rate is 3 times more than Europeans.The higher prices due to taxes mainly for sure plays a major part in that.Countries use tax policy all the time to eitheir encourage or discourage things.So-called sin taxes(cigarettes as an example) are used this way.Because of the lower prices as the story pointed out people were encouraged to buy bigger houses cars etc.,higher prices will encourage the opposite.Just look at how new demand since 1980 in the UK has been flat and demand actually declined in France 17% while it increased 21% in the US.
And I'm not sure that when the taxes were initiated in Europe the enviorment was even a major concern yet.

British governments have long used taxation of certain commodities as an easy to collect source of revenue.Whenever a tanker load of fuel leaves the depot a cheque is sent to Her Majesty's Treasury.Same when beer leaves the brewery.
Diesel oil is the same product as heating oil. In the winter demand rises so it gets more expensive than petrol.

 

[senob44]

No. Ecology gives them a good excuse for raising revenue. The high price won't curtail consumption .People don't buy it for fun.

It is a double edged sword. As Friday properly explained, high taxes and high prices do curtail consumption. Sure revenue is raised, and I admit that is a big part of it. But I know a lot of people here in the US who have started driving less due to high prices of gasoline. Myself very much included. I used to take 20-50 mile joyrides everyday in my free time, but I don't anymore. I guess you could say I curtailed my consumption. :dunno:

 

[Hoodoo]

Remeber in the United STates more people have to make longer commutes to get to their jobs and homes and stores and things.....so it evens out

 

[Fresno]

It is Expensive when you do not have the money to fill your tank, and can only pot ten in gallons, and that's has to last a whole month.

 

[dick van cock]

Remeber in the United STates more people have to make longer commutes to get to their jobs and homes and stores and things.....so it evens out

Low gas prices encourage suburbanization. The German government has scrapped subsidies for commuters.

People should live where they work and use public transport.

 

[loveakirayui]

this was already brought up in another thread.
and this is what i have gathered
the 8$ in us is only like 4 pounds in UK or 5 euros
not to mention their taxes on gas is so high
gas basically cost the same everywhere except for oil rich nations if u take taxes into account

AND in truth gas does cost Americans more because of the weaker dollar.

 

[Petra]

Low gas prices encourage suburbanization. The German government has scrapped subsidies for commuters.

People should live where they work and use public transport.

That's pretty easy for Europeans to say that have never experienced living/working in the US. Everything is much farther and it's not always possible to live near your work. Heck, I worked 30 miles (40km) away from where I worked in Florida and there was no option to live closer. There was literally NOTHING out there except for a little gas station with overpriced gas.

The town I lived in had no public transport and we were at least 60 miles away from anything resembling civilization (like clothes shopping or other things you couldn't find at the local grocery store). Biking wasn't really an option either since the road to work was one of the most dangerous stretches of state highway, in fact about 6 months before moving to Europe a co-worker got hit by a car and almost died. And he was wearing a helmet.

A lot of the US is like that. Not everyone is fortunate (or unfortunate in some cases) to live in big cities where there's decent public transport or it's safe to walk/bike to where you need to go.

And I can see why Europeans don't see it the way Americans do, especially when you have countries like the Netherlands with very decent public transport and bike paths through the country.