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Fact #145: October 16, 2000
Actions to Reduce Gasoline Expenditures

Gasoline prices in the summer of 2000 were dramatically higher than they had been the previous year. In a survey for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in August 2000, Opinion Research Corporation, International, asked 953 driving adults what they had done or planned to do in the near future to reduce gasoline expenditures. Nearly half of the respondents (45%) said they would drive less, while 28% said they would ride a bike or walk more often. A quarter responded that they would purchase a more fuel efficient vehicle, while 17% said they would drive a different vehicle. Only 22% responded that they would do nothing.

Supporting Information

Actions to Reduce Gasoline Expenditures

Action	Percent of Respondents
Nothing	22%
Other	2%
Cancel Vacation	10%
Mass Transit	13%
Telecommute	15%
Drive different vehicle	17%
Carpool	21%
Purchase more efficient vehicle	25%
Walk or Bike	28%
Drive less	45%
Source: Random phone survey of 1,013 adults performed by Opinion Research Corporation, International, for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, August 3, 2000. Only the 953 study participants who indicated that they were drivers were asked about their actions to reduce gasoline expenditures. Results were weighted to obtain a representative sample of the U.S. adult population.

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