I just read a newsletter I receive from a natural gas and oil program I invested in earlier this year, and it mentioned the lower cost of oil and the effect it has on the consumer.  If anyone has been paying attention to business and the media, you know how much emphasis has been placed on how the lower cost of energy has kept the consumer, and thus the economy alive.

But just how much money is the consumer saving from the drop in the price of oil?  Doing some easy math, and basing it just on gasoline prices, it doesn't look like that much.  If you figure the average mileage that a person drives in a year is 15,000, based on a car that averages 20 miles per gallon, you're looking at about $2 a day, or $750 in a year.  Even less if you drive a more fuel efficient car.  Interesting.

Now I understand I'm not accounting for home energy bills, which I have not looked into, but just looking at the gasoline prices, how much of a positive effect can this really have on the consumer, and is it really possible that these savings in energy prices can really hold up the economy?