Oil and Natural GasHow Crude Oil Prices Affect the U.S. Economy and Natural Gas Prices:
Higher crude oil prices directly affect the cost of
gasoline, home heating oil, manufacturing and electric power generation. How much? According to the
EIA, 96% of transportation relies on oil, 43% of industrial product, 21% of residential and commercial, and (only) 3% of electric power. However,
if oil prices rise, then so does the price of natural gas, which is used to fuel 14% of electric power generation, 73% of residential and commercial, and 39% of industrial production. (Source: EIA,
U.S. Primary Energy Consumption by Source and Sector, 2004)