Gas prices in the Cariboo are all over the map but Quesnel motorists are definitely on the losing end.
You have to wonder how Williams Lake gas stations can charge 1-79.9 a litre and the price at the pump in Quesnel is a dollar 91-nine.
Dan McTeague, the President of Canadians for Affordable Energy and also the operator of Gaswizzard.ca, says it really comes down to competition in the area and retail margins.
“It costs them about a buck 72 to get their gasoline delivered, taxes in. Not bad, 19 cent retail margins. Obviously there’s not a lot of competition there. I can say this happens in other towns. It was very common in Kelowna last year and the year before, up until Costco showed up, at which point the prices came crashing down.”
McTeague says prices will eventually come down in Quesnel.
“It is pretty clear that something is going to have to give, and I would expect gas stations in Quesnel may very well want to temper their enthusiasm and maybe drop prices 5 or 6 cents a litre to get it back to where people would have good reason not to complain.”
100 Mile House was as low as a dollar 74-nine earlier in the week before prices jumped up by about 10 cents a litre.