Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Interruption possible for all fuels
Recent market activity warrants the use of interrupter formula


Media release

Conception Bay South, NL, July 22, 2008 – Consumers in Newfoundland and Labrador can expect to see the use of the Petroleum Pricing Office’s interruption formula this week as all numbers are showing that gasoline and heating-stove oils have met the criteria required.

“Consumers can expect to see the use of the formula for gasoline as well as for heating and stove oils. I also expect that diesel will also fall under the criteria based simply on the most recent market activities. When oil pricing loses as much as it did last week, then you also expect for the related refined commodity to do the same,” said George Murphy, group researcher and member of the Consumer Group for Fair Gas Prices.

“With five of seven days data at hand, I have gasoline to drop by 9.9 cents a litre and heating-stove oils to drop by 7.7 cents a litre. Initial numbers showed a 9 and 6 scenario was the more likely based on the first two days data. The heating oil number may be a good indicator of where diesel may be going as well. We now have five days and that’s why the numbers have changed. I expect there to be little change when the other two days data become available.

“Markets for oil traded down based on the troubles the markets are seeing with the world economy right now. We’re facing economic slowdown, a drop in consumer demand overall and that has led to some tidy gains in oil and commodity inventories. The previous fears of an economic blockade against Iran and it’s pursuit of a nuclear program abated somewhat and the possible supply disruption scenario from that area was gone from the traders basis for the elevated price. Hence, the consumer will see some relief in pricing this week.

“We know that high pricing has become an undue hardship for a lot of people and we’ve written a note to the Public Utilities Board asking them to pass these substantial savings on to the consumer in this province ahead of the ‘scheduled’ interruption price change to consumers. We want these savings passed to consumers for Tuesday midnight instead of the Thursday implementation just to bring emergency relief to consumers out there. Based on the performance of the dropping price in other markets, I think we should like to see something happen here sooner rather than later.

“Right now, some markets have seen corresponding drops in numbers where there is still competition in the areas involved. Some areas of Toronto have seen pricing drop by as much as what I have on paper for this area now. We need to see some redress to consumers and being as extraordinary situation as we’ve seen in the markets since last Tuesday; I feel that the consumer in Newfoundland and Labrador deserves to see the break early.”

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For more information, contact;

George Murphy
Group researcher/Member
Consumer group for Fair Gas Prices
gasprices@hotmail.com

By the way, be sure and leave any comments you might have. They all help... whether constructive...or not...lol

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