Gas prices reaching painful levels in Okanagan, Kamloops
Drivers across the province are experiencing sticker shock as gas prices take a huge jump.
In Vancouver, gas prices have hit a new high of more than $2.39 a litre at some stations, blowing past the previous peak set this summer. One gas analyst says that's a new all-time record for North America, and expects prices to continue to rise this week.
In Kamloops and the Okanagan, prices range from $1.68 to $1.85.
President of Canadians for Affordable Energy Dan McTeague says prices passed the previous record of nearly $2.37 a litre, set in Vancouver in June, due to the temporary shutdown of refineries in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and California. McTeague says prices will likely rise again then drop fairly quickly once the supply issues are resolved.
"I don't see the all-clear light at the end of the tunnel just yet. It's going to happen and when it does it will be a dramatic drop, probably about 20 cents a litre, not in one fell swoop but very close to that over two or three days," he said.
The cheapest gas in B.C. today is in Williams Lake where a litre of regular will set you back $1.64, according to GasBuddy.com. Not far behind is a Tempo gas station in Enderby in the North Okanagan where the price is $1.68.
The lowest price in Kamloops is $1.81 at Costco. Vernon’s cheapest gas is at SuperSave for $1.77. In Kelowna, most stations are at $1.78, while Penticton’s least expensive gas is at SuperStore’s Mobil station at $1.85.
READ MORE: Gas prices up in some cities across Canada by as much as 19 cents
Gas prices jumped overnight across Canada by almost 20 cents in some places.
McTeague said no one could have predicted gas prices increasing at the speed they have over the past several days.
"The bottom line is that there's not enough supply out there and however we got here, we're going to have to spend a bit more time trying to figure this out because this is the kind of things that bring economies to a standstill," he said.
According to the CAA’s price tracker, gas is up nationally by just over three cents on average at $1.58 per litre, with some provinces seeing higher jumps than others.
— With files from The Canadian Press
