Most Americans Say Gas Price Is Serious Problem
This article was first published on Rigzone here
Nearly two-thirds of Americans (64 percent) say the price of gasoline has been either a very serious problem (37 percent) or a somewhat serious problem (27 percent) for them and their family, a new Quinnipiac University national poll of adults released this week has found.
The poll, which outlined that 35 percent of respondents say it’s a not too serious problem (21 percent) or not a problem at all (14 percent), also found wide differences along party lines. Eighty-five percent of Republicans, 68 percent of independents, and 38 percent of Democrats say the price of gasoline is a very serious problem or a somewhat serious problem for them and their family, according to the poll.
The Quinnipiac University poll also found that more than four in 10 Americans (45 percent) say they have cut back significantly on their household spending because of the recent rise in gas prices, while 54 percent say they have not. More than four in 10 Americans (46 percent) say they have cut back significantly on how much they drive because of the recent rise in gas prices, while 53 percent say they have not, according to the poll.
“Surging gas prices are apparently a good deal more painful for Republicans than they are for Democrats as more Republicans say that skyrocketing prices are straining home finances and keeping the family vehicle in the garage more than normal,” Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy said in a university statement.
As of March 18, the U.S. average regular gasoline price stood at $4.27, according to the AAA’s website. Yesterday’s average stood at $4.28, the week ago average stood at $4.33 and the month ago average stood at $3.52, AAA’s website shows. The year ago regular gas price average stood at $2.88, AAA’s site outlines. The highest recorded average regular gas price stands at $4.33, which was recorded on March 11, 2022, AAA’s site shows.
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In a statement sent to Rigzone on March 16, AAA spokesperson Devin Gladden told Rigzone that, typically, it can take a few days to about a week for changes in oil prices to trickle over to retail pump prices.
In a White House press briefing on the same day, Press Secretary Jen Psaki outlined that Americans deserve relief at the pump, and fast, as oil prices fall.
“When it comes to oil and gas prices, many accept that gas prices rise quickly but fall slowly - the so-called ‘rockets-and-feathers’ phenomenon,” Psaki said in the briefing.
“But President Biden rejects that. Americans deserve relief, and fast, as oil prices fall. Retail gasoline prices are updated at least daily, and if gas retailers’ costs are going down, they need to immediately pass those savings onto consumers,” Psaki added in the briefing.
Established in 1988, the Quinnipiac University Poll is a nationally and internationally recognized polling organization that adheres to rigorous methodological practices, according to the entity’s website. Survey results regularly consist of over 1,000 respondents, allowing important subgroups to be examined and to minimize the sampling margin of error, the organization’s site notes.
To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com
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