Undated - Gas prices at $3.50 a gallon seem inevitable this summer to nearly 3 out of 4 Americans who were surveyed. In that group over 1 in 4 expects fuel prices will jump to $4 a gallon in the next few months.
According to a new survey by the ?Opinion Research Corporation? conducted by the nonprofit ?Civil Society Institute,? More than 4 out of 5 Americans think price gouging is occurring already.
With increasing prices at the pump expected to reach $3.50 a gallon, about 50% of Americans say they will ?definitely? or ?probably? cut back on personal spending and summer or end-of-year holiday excursions.
The popularity of hybrid vehicles is also more likely to grow. Nearly 3 in 10 say they will be more likely to purchase a hybrid or highly fuel-efficient vehicle if gasoline reaches $3.50 a gallon;
Other key findings of the CSI/40MPG.org survey:
* More than three out of four Americans (77 percent) believe the federal government is not doing enough about the high cost of energy and this country's dependence on Middle Eastern oil. Nearly two thirds of Republicans (64 percent) think the government isn't doing enough compared to 79 percent of Independents and 88 percent of Democrats.
* More than two thirds of Americans (67 percent) say that recent gas price increases make it more important that the Federal government take steps to increase the fuel-efficiency standards in this country. There is strong support across party lines for such action, including 61 percent of Republicans, 65 percent of Independents and 75 percent of Democrats.
* There is considerable public support for a windfall profits tax on oil companies if the revenue is used to research alternative energy (77 percent).
Commenting on the survey findings, Civil Society Institute President and 40MPG.org founder Pam Solo said: ?These survey findings should send a real jolt through the corridors of the White House and the halls of Congress. Americans are fed up with skyrocketing gasoline prices and they want action, including higher federal fuel-efficiency standards now for cars and other vehicles. We hope that all the Washington ?experts' who want to wait for a decade until 2017 or 2018 to gradually increase federal mileage standards see the results of this survey. We can and should take bold action now to reduce our addition to Middle Eastern oil and to cut greenhouse gas emissions.?
Opinion Research Corporation Senior Research Associate Graham Hueber said: ?What we see in these findings is a real consensus view among American consumers that gas prices are already too high and that they are going to reach even more painfully high levels this summer. The findings about expected cuts in summer and end-of-year travel plans, as well as the expectation of reductions in general consumer spending, must be viewed with real concern. Clearly, the idea that Americans are just going to accept higher gasoline prices with no real reaction does not appear to be well founded.? SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS
Other key findings of the CSI/40MPG.org survey include the following:
* Higher fuel prices would hit those with lower incomes the hardest. About three-fifths (61 percent) of those in households with less than $25,000 in income say they will definitely or probably have to cut back on personal spending if gasoline hits $3.50 a gallon, compared to about half (51 percent) of all households).
* Women (88 percent) are more likely then men (77 percent) to perceive such price gouging at the gas pump. The overall level of 83 percent of Americans seeing gas price gouging is roughly the same as in September 2005 (86 percent) when CSI/40MPG.org asked the same question during a time of escalating gasoline prices and calls for a windfall profits tax on oil company profits.
* More than two-thirds of Americans (67 percent) say that recent gas price increases make it more important that the Federal government take steps to increase the fuel-efficiency standards in this country. Only 22 percent say that price hikes have had no impact on the need for such action and fewer than one in 10 (9 percent) say it is now less important that the government take action. There is strong support across party lines for such action, including 61 percent of Republicans, 65 percent of Independents and 75 percent of Democrats.
* Over half of Americans (54 percent) would support raising the taxes on gasoline sales if that revenue would be used for research into alternative fuels. This idea is more popular with women (58 percent) than it is with men (50 percent). The idea of earmarking a portion of existing federal income taxes for research into alternative fuels is a wildly popular idea among those age 18-24 (74 percent).
* More than three out of four Americans (78 percent) say they support using some of the money collected in the Federal Highway Trust Fund from taxes on gasoline sales, to investigate alternative energy sources.
* Two-thirds of Americans are either more likely (35 percent) or just as likely (31 percent) to buy a hybrid, clean-diesel or other highly fuel efficient car as they were six months ago. Less than a third (31 percent) say they are less likely to make such a purchase.
SURVEY METHODOLOGY
The new CSI/40MPG.org survey was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation among a sample of 1,013 adults (504 men and 509 women) aged 18 and over living in private households in the Continental United States. Interviewing for this survey was completed during the period of April 19-22, 2007.
The other survey mentioned above also was conducted by ORC and involved 1,019 adults (507 men and 512 women) aged 18 and over living in private households in the Continental United States. Interviewing for the earlier survey was completed during the period of September 15-18, 2005. Both surveys were weighted by four variables: age, sex, geographic region and race to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total population. The margin of error for both surveys at the 95 percent confidence level is plus or minus 3 percentage points. Smaller sub-groups in either survey will have larger error margins.
John BumgardnerIn your voice
