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Expert says gas prices expected to rise heading into spring

Jan 8, 2019 | 6:25 AM

LETHBRIDGE – A gas expert expects pump prices to hold steady  for the first month of 2019, even though those prices differ across the province.
 
However, Gasbuddy.com‘s Dan McTeague says prices are expected to increase as we head into spring.

“I think it’s going to be stable for the month of January,” says McTeague. “It’s likely we’ll see prices remain pretty much where they are right now, a little higher than the dollar range. I suspect that as we march towards February and into the next three months, oil is going to pick up in value.”

McTeague notes the price of gas is also going to climb because of factors such as oil’s recovery from production cuts and carbon taxes.

McTeague adds gas is a lot cheaper in Edmonton than it is in other locations, because Edmonton stations are selling fuel at or below cost.

“That may sound crazy, but that’s simply because the arrival of the big box store has had a lot to do with driving prices down to levels that, unless you’re using gasoline as a loss leader, you’re likely to lose your shirt.”

On Tuesday (Jan 8), the average price in Edmonton is 87.6, Grande Prairie is 107.9 per litre, Calgary’s prices run between 88.6 and 91.9. Further south, Claresholm is at 99.9, Fort Macleod at 101.9, tHE Crowsnest Pass is at 105.9, Lethbridge is roughly 101.9 and Taber is between 103.9 and 104.9.