When the price at the pump hit a high of four dollars for a gallon of gasoline, Americans reacted by driving less, selling the S.U.V. and seriously considering an alternative fuel vehicle like compressed natural gas.

Is compressed natural gas the answer to skyrocketing gas prices?  A handful of local drivers are convinced it is, and they're putting their money where their mouth is.

Amherst resident Francie Cote says, "It's absolutely the greatest thing in the world if you are looking for cheap transportation and are tired of having to deal with the price of gas."

Adam Cook says, "When it hit $4 dollars a gallon, I decided enough was enough."

Both Francis Cote and Adam Cook are now owners of a new Honda Civic GX natural gas vehicle. These cars rely on American supplies of natural gas and not imported oil. The CNG Civic has been certified by the EPA as the cleanest vehicle in the world. Both men say they are saving a ton of money at the pumps. Right now it sells for $1.65 a gallon equivalent.  Adam Cote says it's very cheap and a significant improvement.  "The more miles you drive a week a better deal it becomes."

Francis invested in this natural gas pump for his garage at home called the "Phill". The Phill station connects right to your home natural gas line, and as a result you save even more money than buying at a local national fuel station. Francis is paying a dollar ten to a dollar twenty for a gallon of gas, he says, "its a beautiful car, runs great and the emissions are zero, or near zero."

The Civic GX looks and drives just like a normal civic, with only one inconvenience... the trunk is significantly smaller than a gas Civic because it has to house a large natural gas tank. Francis is ecstatic about the purchase of the car, "no remorse, it runs just as good as a regular car, I'm helping the environment, and fuel cost is very inexpensive."

Natural gas is clean, abundant, and cheaper than gas, the only problem is if you are driving around and run out of gas and pull into your neighborhood station, you probably wont be able to filler up.

National fuel has only three stations locally where you can fill up with CNG. This is the one major disadvantage CNG owners say they encounter, so you need to watch the fuel gauge carefully and plan accordingly.

University at Buffalo and Buffalo State College have been using natural gas vehicles for several years. Then Governor George Pataki signed an executive order in 2001,"directing state agencies to be more energy efficient" which included the use of alternative fuel vehicles. 

Buffalo State has ten CNG maintenance vehicles in service right now, which work great, and with no oil filters to change they are cheap to maintain.... and easy to fill up.

Francis and Adam admit they are on the cutting edge of change. Even Francis's friends thought he was crazy "at first" but now friends are going to buy a Honda Civic."

The natural gas civic retails for $25,760 and the gasoline version retails for $21,005 the natural gas versions are several thousand dollars more.  But, the government will send you a check in the mail for $4,000 as a gift to encourage you to buy a natural gas vehicle.  If you want a home "Phill" station that attaches to your residential gas line, the same gas line your cook top uses, it will cost you $2,800, but the government will also send you a check for $1,000.

Francis is now in the process of converting his brand new Ford F-150 at a cost of $4,500.

Adam plans to save the extra cash and just fill up at the local stations. "I feel pretty good about myself, my decision, no buyers remorse whatsoever!"