Today, the average cost of a gallon of gas in Connecticut is about $1.30 cheaper than a year ago. That’s good news for our pocketbooks, but we should not expect it to last. There is only so much oil available and prices will go back up.

Instead of returning to gas guzzlers, savvy consumers should consider switching to electric vehicles (EVs). EVs are cheaper to drive than gas-powered vehicles. Driving an EV in New England usually costs about $0.06 per mile in electricity, while conventional vehicles cost $0.10 to $0.15 per mile in gas. With hundreds of public EV charging stations in Connecticut, charging EVs continues to get easier. Over 90 percent of Connecticut residents already live within 20 miles of a public charging station and the DEEP, municipalities, and businesses are working to build more.

The Connecticut Electric Vehicle Coalition, founded by Acadia Center, the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association, Connecticut Fund for the Environment, Environment Connecticut, and the Sierra Club, are promoting legislation to encourage EV use and bring lower fuel costs, better air quality, smaller climate impact, and energy independence to more residents. Low gas prices are a temporary treat. EVs offer a long-term solution.

Shannon Smyth

New Haven 

Editor's note: Ms. Smyth is an attorney for the Connecticut Fund for the Environment.