There is a chance that Esso 711 still has gas for $1.32.9 … other wise the rest are now at a staggering $1.43.9 not that the former price was a deal, but how can they justify an 11c a lire increase all at once?
No competition at the wholesale level. They set the price, nothing the station can do about it. They also tend to set the price at a level just below what it would cost to truck or ship it in from another wholesaler.
What is the price of oil these days?
I believe it closed around $87 a barrel, down $3.75.
Just gassed up at 7-11 @ $1.329 Same @ Chevron. Is it PetroCan that has upped it’s price? Clerk @ 7-11 was not aware of a price change today but said could be and just not advised yet.
False alarm sorry petro can is the only one so far I saw it last night there and than gas buddy said others followed suit so thank goodness at least for now it remained at old price
Gasoline is a traded commodity and therefore the wholesale prices are set each day on the NYSE. In the highly competitive US, refiners use this price as a ceiling benchmark and discount from it. In Canada, refiners use it as a floor and add to it. As a result we pay on average 12 cents a litre more wholesale than Americans. Of course local prices can be affected either way due to refinery shutdowns, hurricanes etc. There doesn’t seem to be any good reason for a gasoline inventory shortage right now, so I would guess it was an attempt at a cash grab.
I seen the $1.43 sign at Chevron yesterday when I went to fill up and promptly drove past the pumps and headed over to Esso. Gasbuddy is awesome but I wish more people would take the time and update it every chance they can. For the record, I hate getting gas at Esso! What a pain to have to go into that busy store and wait in line twice just to fill up!
saw 143.9 across the board tonight… maybe in the morning it will be back down …?
saw gas back to 132.9 even at Petro Canada tonight
Big deal on the price really. If you are driving already another 10 or 20 cent increase won’t stop people from driving thats for sure. They could raise it too $2 a litre and everyone will still be driving.
Oh it could be $5. a litre and there won’t be any change. It’s the fact that the public is being ripped … nothing we can do…
Just came back from a trip. Abbotsford $ 1.26 a Litre. Alberta $ 1.18 a Litre. I think the prices are higher here in Rupert to help the City look after our nice smooth roads.
It is simply competition. Abbotsford is a border city and they have to keep the price low to keep consumers from driving to Sumas for cheaper fuel.
Unless you’re in Fort Mac, anywhere north of Grimshaw, or Sask Crossing.
…
Nope.Some of them still do.
Abbotsford is the first city outside of the transit tax area, and straddles Hwy 1. Lots of gas stations, even more gas stations than churches! Down towards the border on Sumas, Costco mambers can save yet another 3-5c/L.
We make a point of waiting until Abbotsford to gas up on trips south, so does everyone I know up here. Bought it there as much as 20c/L less than the gas gouge in the North. PG is often higher than Vancouver itself. Came back from my last trip. PG was 3c more than I paid right at Vancouver Airport (had to fill a rental car)
[quote=“herbie_popnecker”]
Nope.Some of them still do.
Abbotsford is the first city outside of the transit tax area, and straddles Hwy 1. Lots of gas stations, even more gas stations than churches! Down towards the border on Sumas, Costco mambers can save yet another 3-5c/L.
We make a point of waiting until Abbotsford to gas up on trips south, so does everyone I know up here. Bought it there as much as 20c/L less than the gas gouge in the North. PG is often higher than Vancouver itself. Came back from my last trip. PG was 3c more than I paid right at Vancouver Airport (had to fill a rental car)[/quote]
Like I said, competition.
Costco (which treats gasoline as a lost leader), and Sumas are real competition. Being just outside the 17 cent transit tax zone is a bonus, but doesn’t affect their margin. You will find that Abbotsford retailers on average make less per litre than almost anywhere else in the province.
I’ll bet they have more than one wholesaler to choose from as well.
The problem in Rupert (and most of the North) isn’t that there isn’t retail competition – it’s that there’s usually only one source of wholesale gas. The wholesaler gets to set the price, and the retailer doesn’t have a choice.
Sometimes the retailer is selling the gas on consignment anyway, so they really have no say in the price.
Remember that huge price war in Ontario a few years back? That happened when a group of retailers realized they could ship refined gasoline from the UK for cheaper than they could get it from the local wholesaler. Hilarity ensued.
The wholesalers who have virtual monopolies aren’t stupid – they price at just below what it would cost to bring the gas in from the next nearest wholesaler.
Competition is good. We could use some up here too.
There are not that many wholesalers in BC. Burnaby, Prince George and Kamloops are the only terminals, with a couple of company run branches in places like Terrace and Nanaimo. Independent stations can shop around a bit and negotiate discounts with volume, the problem is there are fewer and fewer independents. Nearly all the metro service stations are company stores or are leased and receive commissions on sales. (I am not sure which category the stations in Rupert are). For example, there are 235 Petro Canada stations in BC, and 149 of them have their pump price controlled by Petro Canada.