Feeling oil’s trickle-down effect

Have skyrocketing gas prices got you down? The same crude oil that is refined into fuel is also used to make plastics, fertilizers, roofing material and asphalt for roads. You might be surprised to see some of the many ways rising oil prices are affecting you.

Dry cleaning

Natural gas, which powers dryers at commercial laundries, is 36 percent more expensive than it was three months ago, said Romulo Gonzalez, owner of Perfection Cleaners on North Mills Avenue in Orlando. Chemicals used in the dry-cleaning process are up about 26 percent, he said. …

Landscaping

Rising transportation and the cost of fertilizer derived from natural gas and petroleum are putting pressure on landscaping products and services. Todd Brothers Inc., a foliage wholesaler in St. Cloud, has added $100 to $150 to every order it delivers to landscape installers. …

Building materials

The cost of rebar, metal rods used to reinforce poured concrete walls, rose 23 percent during May alone as the cost of fuel used in production and transport to market increased. …

Electrical contractors

The cost of wiring, electricity junction boxes and other products needed to wire buildings has risen 30 percent to 40 percent, according to Brite Electric Air Conditioning and Heating in Apopka. …

Orlando Sentinel