A gallon of gasoline today costs 29% more than it did a year ago, and a gallon of heating oil 64% more. Despite the imminent lifting of the Arab embargo, the prices are certain to stay high; gasoline prices might even go a bit higher. The Federal Energy Office's officials believe that the increases will alleviate the energy shortage in two ways. They give U.S. oil companies a greater incentive to explore for more oil and gas at home; and they encourage American consumers to conserve energy.
Though these policies might sound reasonable, they infuriate Lee White, 50, a balding, wiry...