Canadians fear oil prices will soar higher: poll

As pump prices continue their seemingly inexorable climb, more than half of Canadians are either changing their driving habits or thinking about it, a new poll suggests.

About a quarter of respondents to The Canadian Press-Harris-Decima survey said the soaring price of gasoline has led them to cut down on gasoline consumption and another 28 per cent said they’re starting to look for ways to do so.
About 15 per cent said they’ll start to change if pump prices push higher, while a quarter of respondents said they were unlikely to change the amount of gas they use no matter what the price.

“The recent run-up in price has motivated one in four people to change their behaviour, but as people think more pain is yet to come, more behaviour will likely change, too,” said Bruce Anderson, Harris-Decima president.

The poll also suggested that Canadians fear oil prices will soar ever higher in the next five years and most of them blame gouging by oil companies.

The average price prediction by respondents was $203 a barrel in five years.

Only 11 per cent of survey respondents said they thought the price of oil will be lower in five years.

The poll suggested that 57 per cent of Canadians blame gouging by oil companies for the recent steep price jump.

CTV