Gas boycott doesn’t make dent nationally, or locally

NORWICH – A push generated over the Internet to boycott purchasing gas nationwide Tuesday created plenty of buzz, but did it gain momentum locally?

According to several gas station managers and consumers in Norwich, not really.

What in recent years has become an annual response to rising gas prices and oil company profits just prior to the peak summer driving season, the e-mail embargo apparently didn’t have much effect on the rest of the country either – at least it hasn’t shown any. Based on the AAA daily fuel gauge report for today – the day after the national “gas out” was supposed to significantly lower prices as much as $.30 overnight – the national average per gallon went up over two cents.

“One day is not going to matter,” said Norwich resident Betsy Mahannah, who was aware of the boycott but decided to get gas Tuesday at the Hess station anyway. “The people that did participate were up here yesterday filling up or they’ll be here tomorrow. We have to decrease the demand – it’s a lot more than a one-day ordeal.”

Energy and travel experts say avoiding the pumps for one day will have no impact on prices, acknowledging it will take either an increase in domestic oil refinery capacity to meet the demand, or a concerted effort by the public to decrease its overall gas consumption in order to lower prices.

Norwich resident John Cook, who also filled up yesterday, said lowering consumption seems impractical at the moment.

“The only way you can lower demand is by not using your car,” Cook said. “For most people, that’s impractical.”

Managers at the Kwikfill, Country Store, and Quickway gas stations on state Route 12 said they hadn’t noticed any significant changes in business as of noon yesterday. The Hess station manager on route 12 north refused to comment. The pumps at Kwikfill and Hess – boasting the lowest unleaded prices (rounded up) at $2.93 and $2.94 per gallon – were continually in use over a roughly twenty minute period. Some lines even got backed up.