Higher Fuel Prices Hurting, Many Say

By Kevin G. Demarrais, The Record, Hackensack, N.J.

Jan. 31–North Jersey consumers say higher fuel prices are having an increasing impact on family finances.

In a telephone survey of 600 adults conducted for The Record in mid-January, 31 percent of respondents said that rising prices over the past year had had a “significant” impact on their lives. That is more than double the 13 percent who said the impact was significant a year earlier.

In addition, 55 percent said higher prices had “somewhat” of an impact. The 86 percent total in the two categories combined compares with 75 percent a year earlier.

At the time the survey was conducted by Research 2000 of Rockville, Md., the average price of regular gasoline in North Jersey was $2.26 a gallon, nearly 30 percent higher than 12 months earlier and almost 50 percent more than in 2004, according to The Record’s Marketbasket Survey.

The increases in home heating oil and natural gas prices have been similar. The average price of fuel oil was $2.45 a gallon in mid-January in The Record survey, nearly 28 percent more than in 2005 and 52 percent above its level two years ago. Gas-heat customers are paying 27 percent more than a year ago following two rate hikes in the past six months.

Nearly three-quarters of consumers polled said the government needs to do more to reduce reliance on oil, while 15 percent reject that idea and 12 percent said they are not sure.

The margin of error is plus or minus four percentage points.

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