See gas creeping up at stations
That didn’t last long
- Thread starter ToSlow
- Start date
Mass immigration.
I have seen plenty of stations as low as the $1.10 range in the last week. And I've seen others as high as $1.29.
Clearly many stations are still gouging. That's on them, not bigger market forces right now, and not anything at all to do with the government. If people keep buying gas at stations that are gouging, they'll keep gouging - if people start shopping around vs just stopping at whatever station is convenient or "their usual place", then when their sales drop, they'll compete again.
I think part of the problem is now that consumers are used to paying ~$1.30 and a lot of gas station owners know that, and in areas where there's not enough stations to offer competition, or you get 2 or 3 stations but they're all likeminded on pricing (charge what the market will bear), then this is what you get.
Some good reading on the topic. The key bit to understand is that in almost all cases, gas station owners set their prices to whatever they want.
competition-bureau.canada.ca
How we can all fix this? Stop buying gas at stations that are gouging. Good luck getting the average joe-consumer to do this however - too many people just stop at whatever the first gas station they see when they need gas, not bothering to pay any attention to the price of gas at all until that moment.
Looking at Gasbuddy.com right now there are no shortages of cheap gas stations out there. People are just not shopping around so the $1.29 stations are still selling enough and making fat margins to be incentivized to lower their prices.
Clearly many stations are still gouging. That's on them, not bigger market forces right now, and not anything at all to do with the government. If people keep buying gas at stations that are gouging, they'll keep gouging - if people start shopping around vs just stopping at whatever station is convenient or "their usual place", then when their sales drop, they'll compete again.
I think part of the problem is now that consumers are used to paying ~$1.30 and a lot of gas station owners know that, and in areas where there's not enough stations to offer competition, or you get 2 or 3 stations but they're all likeminded on pricing (charge what the market will bear), then this is what you get.
Some good reading on the topic. The key bit to understand is that in almost all cases, gas station owners set their prices to whatever they want.
Gasoline prices: Illegal activity versus normal competition — Understanding the gasoline industry
The retail gas industry is very complex, in large part because gasoline is a global product and is subject to regulation and taxes.
How we can all fix this? Stop buying gas at stations that are gouging. Good luck getting the average joe-consumer to do this however - too many people just stop at whatever the first gas station they see when they need gas, not bothering to pay any attention to the price of gas at all until that moment.
Looking at Gasbuddy.com right now there are no shortages of cheap gas stations out there. People are just not shopping around so the $1.29 stations are still selling enough and making fat margins to be incentivized to lower their prices.
Not far away In west Brampton I see GasBuddy showing $1.19 at some stations right now. Last night one station in Georgetown was showing $1.19 - clearly they bounced it up again after midnight which is fairly typical of gas stations which is why it’s always recommended to fill up later in the evening versus anytime in the a.m. the next day.
So yeah in the end you just have station owners charging with the market will bear, and consumers willingly paying it, being their own enemies.
So yeah in the end you just have station owners charging with the market will bear, and consumers willingly paying it, being their own enemies.
I saw 1.19 last night in Mississauga on Erin Mills and 403.
Didn’t pay attention today but there’s always a reason.
If a tax is removed price will go up to match simply because they can.
Not sure why this is any surprise.
Didn’t pay attention today but there’s always a reason.
If a tax is removed price will go up to match simply because they can.
Not sure why this is any surprise.
Unfortunate but you’re right.
Same happened when the GST/HST holiday happened. Some stores bumped their price up to match, and they were called out but no one really cared.
Canadians need to learn how to riot like the French.
That's $2.61/L Canadian after the exchange calculations.
We have it pretty darned good in comparison. And I don't see the french rioting about this.
Aside from the USA where they sacrifice social programs and infrastructure for the sake of some of the cheapest gas on the planet, our gas prices (despite at least partially funding both of those things) is hardly anything to be too upset about. The April 2025 average US gas prices was $3.15/gallon, which comes out to $1.15/L CAD after exchange.
Heck, even Dubai/UAE (where gas used to be thrown around like water) it's almost $1.00/L CAD after the exchange.
It's easy to lose perspective when people often don't look outside their own borders, but even at $1.20/L, there's many other developed areas around the world that would be very jealous of our prices still, and we're really not that far above even the USA right now.
the point isn’t the gas price @PrivatePilot in order to riot.
It’s the blatant *** effing we take from our political and corporate overlords.
The French will strike over the smallest things to make sure they don’t get taken advantage of (they do in the end), but they don’t take it sitting down.
Look what happened when they tried to raise the retirement age. Instant multi day riot with fires burning.
Good times.
It’s the blatant *** effing we take from our political and corporate overlords.
The French will strike over the smallest things to make sure they don’t get taken advantage of (they do in the end), but they don’t take it sitting down.
Look what happened when they tried to raise the retirement age. Instant multi day riot with fires burning.
Good times.
Absolutely nothing. EU price for gas is very expensive. That’s why they use diesel and for a time everyone I knew in Poland converted their cars to run on natural gas.
Flip a switch and you choose fuel or natural gas. Huge savings.
Flip a switch and you choose fuel or natural gas. Huge savings.
sburns
Well-known member
Yea Toronto and most of GTA seem to be a bit higher then the outskirts. Orilla had more consistent lower prices at $1.16 but everywhere else was 1.29 to 1.35 in TO.
I guess industry is going to get hammered with more carbon taxes and they are prepping to pass along to consumers.
I guess industry is going to get hammered with more carbon taxes and they are prepping to pass along to consumers.
It's part of having a global perspective.
If people are going to complain about things at home thinking they're bad, it's often useful to look outside ones borders to add perspective to such and realize that often, no, they're not actually that bad. It was also regarding the french riot comment - it seems they're not upset enough about >$2.50 CAD / L to riot about that.
sburns
Well-known member
Yeah but they have lots of gas motorbikes or scooters.
Exactly. On my commute I'd pass the same two stations morning and afternoon. It was always 3-4 cents cheaper in the afternoon. But as @PrivatePilot says there was always people filling up in the morning.
Also the full service guy opposite always price matched with the self serve and typically had smaller crowds. People are funny.
No, many stations are just gouging is all. Don't read too much into it, I guarantee you that joe-gas-gas-station-owner isn't doing any secret squirrel nefarious planning for the future, they're planning for the next few days....and they're in it to make a profit, and charging what the market will bear maximizes profit in their pockets at the end of the day.
Fast food has got stupid expensive now as well, but as long as people keep buying it, fast food places will continue charging what the market will continue to bear.
