Angus Reid Global Scan : Polls & Research

High Gas Prices Affect Many Americans

August 12, 2006

Many adults in the United States are concerned about the effect of rising fuel costs, according to a poll by International Communications Research released by ABC News. 59 per cent of respondents say recent price increases in gasoline have caused financial hardship in their households.

On Jul. 14, the price of an oil barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange reached a record high of $78.40 U.S. Yesterday, the cost was $74.35 U.S.

According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the national average cost of a gallon of fuel reached a record high in September 2005 at $3.05 U.S. Yesterday, the average cost was $3.03 U.S.

Last month, British Petroleum (BP) announced it was shutting down an oil field located in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, after discovering a severely corroded pipeline. Prudhoe Bay produces 400,000 barrels of crude per day, roughly 7.0 per cent of the countrys total output.

On Aug. 9, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger directed the California Energy Commission to "ensure propriety in the transportation fuels market for Californians, who already pay among the highest gas prices in the nation."

Polling Data

Have recent price increases in gasoline caused any financial hardship for you or others in your household, or not? If Yes: Has that been a serious hardship, or not serious?

	Jul. 2006	Aug. 2005
Yes, serious	29%	36%
Yes, not serious	30%	30%
No	39%	34%

Source: International Communications Research / ABC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 1,006 American adults, conducted from Jul. 14 to Jul. 19, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.