HIGH POINT, N.C., April 2, 2012 – As gas prices have inflated in recent weeks heading toward $4 a gallon, the HPU Poll finds North Carolinians are cutting back on spending due to the increasing fuel costs. Sixty-eight percent said gas prices have caused financial hardships for themselves or others in their households. Majorities of those polled are considering more fuel efficient cars or have cut back on driving and household spending.
When it comes to who’s to blame, the majority – 55 percent – say it’s oil companies first, followed by foreign oil exporting countries and unrest in the Middle East.
Despite the uncertainty in gas prices, evaluations of the future of the economy were stable, showing no significant change from the last HPU Poll.
Gas prices causing hardship
Have recent price increases in gasoline caused any financial hardship for you or others in your household, or not?
Yes – 68 percent
No – 32 percent
Actions taken as a result of high gas prices
As a result of the recent rise in gas prices, would you say you have or have not done each of the following? (Asked in random order)
Percent saying “Yes, have done”
Seriously considered getting a more fuel-efficient car the next time you buy a vehicle – 64 percent
Cut back significantly on how much you drive – 61 percent
Cut back significantly on other household spending – 55 percent
Changed vacation plans – 38 percent
People or things that deserve a great deal of blame for current gas prices
Please tell me whether you think each of the following deserves a great deal of blame, some blame, not much blame or no blame at all for the recent increase in gas prices…. (Asked in random order)
Percent saying “great deal of blame”
Oil and gas companies – 55 percent
Violence and unrest in Middle Eastern countries – 37 percent
Foreign countries that export oil – 35 percent
The Obama Administration – 26 percent
Environmental regulations – 22 percent
Republicans in Congress – 18 percent
American consumers – 10 percent
“North Carolinians certainly say they are feeling the pinch of increasing gas prices and are making tough choices about their personal spending,” said Martin Kifer, director of the HPU Poll. “They are most likely to blame companies and countries most closely associated with supplying petroleum products.”
Future economic conditions in the U.S. and North Carolina
Right now, do you think the economic conditions in the country as a whole are getting better or getting worse?
Current HPU Poll: March 2012
Getting better – 43 percent
Getting worse – 44 percent
(Neither better nor worse) – 11 percent
(Don’t know/Refused) – 2 percent
Previous HPU Poll: February 2012
Getting better – 42 percent
Getting worse – 45 percent
(Neither better nor worse) – 12 percent
(Don’t know/Refused) – 2 percent
Right now, do you think the economic conditions in the state of North Carolina are getting better or getting worse?
Current HPU Poll: March 2012
Getting better – 37 percent
Getting worse – 48 percent
(Neither better nor worse) – 12 percent
(Don’t know/Refused) – 3 percent
Previous HPU Poll: February 2012
Getting better – 36 percent
Getting worse – 50 percent
(Neither better nor worse) – 11 percent
(Don’t know/Refused) – 4 percent
“Even as North Carolinians are dealing with the strain caused by these higher gas prices, they do not yet appear to be transferring that stress to their feelings about the future of the economy,” says Sadie Leder, assistant director of the HPU Poll. “We will continue to watch whether prices keep rising and North Carolinians change their mind about the future of the economy.”
The High Point University Survey Research Center fielded the survey from March 19-22 and March 24-29. The responses came from 507 adults with landline and cellular telephones in North Carolina selected by a Random Digit Dial (RDD) method giving the survey a margin of sampling error of approximately 4.4 percentage points. For smaller subsamples the margin of sampling error is larger. In addition to sampling error, factors such as question wording and other methodological choices in conducting survey research can introduce additional error into the findings of opinion polls.
Further results and methodological details from the survey and can be found at the Survey Research Center website, http://src.highpoint.edu/ or from Dr. Martin Kifer, the center’s director, at [email protected] or 336-841-9333.
You can follow the HPU Poll on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SurveyResearchCenter and Twitter at http://twitter.com/HPUSurveyCenter.
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.℠ HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with over 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report at No. 3 among Regional Colleges in the South. Parade Magazine lists HPU in the top 25 private schools in the nation. HPU was selected in the 2010-2011 list of “Colleges of Distinction,” as well as one of the top green schools in the country by the Sierra Club. The university offers 44 undergraduate majors, 40 undergraduate minors and 10 graduate degree programs. It is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at highpoint.edu.
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Pam Haynes
Communication Specialist
336-841-9055
[email protected]