Ottawa motorists will be smoking bombs today as gas prices hit a new record high.
And one industry analyst warns that prices will rise further next week in Ottawa and across Ontario.
“We could be looking at $ 2.20 sometime next week,” Canadian for Affordable Energy President Dan McTeague told CTV News on Saturday, adding that there was an increase in off-hours operations on Friday. which will be reflected in the prices of the pumps. this week.
“I think $ 2.35 is what we’re going to see happen a lot this summer.”
Prices rose three cents a liter overnight to 214.9 cents a liter at Ottawa stations. The increase comes after a five-cent rise per liter on Friday and a three-cent rise on Saturday
“Gas is changing our lives, the price is very frustrating,” dealer Thierno Mamoudou Diallo said on Friday, adding that the price of fuel forces him to work less.
“I’m just going to stop delivering because I can’t keep delivering all day. The amount I had before keeps going down and if the gas keeps going up, I can’t work anymore.”
High fuel costs are increasing the cost of food and other items.
“Diesel costs and energy costs are becoming a factor,” said Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analysis Laboratory at Dalhousie University. “It’s one of the many things that contributes to our food inflation rate.”
Gas prices have risen significantly this spring due to a shortage of supplies, fueled by sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. The summer driving season is also causing price increases.
McTeague says “a positive” for drivers could be the promise of the Conservative Progressives’ campaign to cut fuel taxes. Prime Minister Doug Ford and the PC Party have pledged to temporarily cut gasoline tax by 5.7 cents a liter for six months, starting July 1.
According to ottawagasprices.com, the average gas price in Ottawa was $ 1.25 in June 2021.
“I didn’t think I would get that high, so I’m very surprised,” one pilot said Saturday.