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Consumption Rate of Oil

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Oil and gasoline prices had been a problem since individual vehicles had actually entered the market. After the Katrina United States current economic growth is not even sustainable under the recent oil price surge. Even though the Department of Energy does not feel that oil prices are high enough to cause a recession, the consequence of high energy costs cannot go unaddressed. Government has to start looking and actually spending money on solutions to this consumption problem immediately. This is the biggest problem driving United States economy to inflation. It is proven by a fact that reducing the biggest consumption in the market would affect the aggregate demand graphs which would directly affect the economy negatively. So there …show more content…

Figure 1: Any decrease in consumption ©, would shift aggregate demand to the left (AD1  AD2) causing a decrease in the quantity output (Y, RGDP). The effects of the higher oil prices is that everything will cost more, a repeating theme, thus lowering the profits of companies. Also, the task of the Fed becomes more complicated by worsening inflation and growth prospects of the U.S. economy. The most likely action by the Fed is to raise interest rates, contracting the money supply. Such a move would reduce the loanable funds available, and in use, within the housing bubble. Investors and individuals would decrease their purchases of real estate and investments in building, which would shift aggregate demand to the left. Ultimately, the quantity output (Y, RGDP) would decrease as well. A further effect of the high oil prices will be the increased cost in home-heating as the winter months approach. U.S. oil demand usually peaks in the fourth quarter when homes and businesses buy heating oil for the northern hemisphere winter. It is the wealth effect of the housing bubble that has allowed Americans to afford higher energy costs and to simultaneously maintain strong spending on other items. An action by the Fed to stave off inflation, and confront high oil prices

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