How to lower gas prices… really
We all know that gas prices are ridiculous right now. And we know that not buying gas for a day, boycotting certain suppliers, etc. won’t really work. But there is a way to greatly decrease gas use immediately.
Many companies have telecommuting policies, and many employees could telecommute, but for whatever reason, there is a stigma attached to telecommuting. So, managers frown upon it. But if all the employees who COULD telecommute actually DID telecommute, then it would immediately greatly decrease the dependence on foreign oil.
This may seem like a selfish way to approach things. After all, if my husband works from home, and we don’t have to pay as much for gas, how does that help my neighbor if they work in a job where they are unable to commute? Well, if gas prices fell to $1.50 or lower per gallon, I don’t know too many people who wouldn’t be jumping up and down, even if they still had to pay for the gas to go to work.
So, I would encourage each of you to write to your state and federal representatives and encourage businesses to utilize telecommuting as a means of lowering gas prices. Feel free to forward this, and feel free to use the sample letter below when you contact your representatives.
As with most Americans, I am concerned about the current price of gasoline. While more fuel efficient vehicles, exploring alternative fuel sources and better public transportation may be a long-term solution in decreasing Americans’ dependence on foreign oil, it is unlikely to help me pay for gasoline next week.I appreciate that legislators are currently coming up with ways to decrease pain at the pump. I am not thrilled about the environmental impact of many of these ideas, but I do have a recommendation that could immediately cut a great deal of the demand for foreign oil and actually be environmentally beneficial.
My husband is a software engineer for Hewlett-Packard. Hewlett-Packard has a telecommuting policy, but many managers frown upon this mode of working. While there are periodic meetings that my husband does need to go into the office to attend, probably 80-90% of the time, he could work from home. He is allowed to telecommute when it is necessary but not in order to save on gasoline. Each week, we spend at least one tank of gas for him to travel back and forth to work.
That’s approximately 50 gallons a month that we could save. Obviously, 50 gallons isn’t going to make that big of a difference, but my husband is just one of tens of thousands of employees who could easily be telecommuting with no cost to their employers. If anything, the current labor trends show that many employees see flexible work options, including telecommuting, as a benefit more appealing than a 401k, so this is truly a win-win situation. There would be no obvious downside to a bill that encouraged telecommuting for those companies where this is a possibility. There would be no downside to a strong recommendation from Legislators or the President that companies allow workers who can to telecommute.
After Hurricane Rita narrowly missed the Houston area, my husband was encouraged to work from home for a week to ease gas shortages because Houston’s mayor had asked employers to not call workers in unless absolutely necessary. So I know that companies are susceptible to encouragement from government officials in this area.
I thank you very much for your time and attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
