Do you feel like you’re dishing out more money for gas than before?
In Montreal, prices at the pump have been slowly climbing upward over the past three months even as fewer people remain out on the roads during the COVID-19 pandemic.
An analysis by Global News found that costs have shot up by about 20 cents per litre on the island since the end of November.
The website GasBuddy, which tracks prices across Canada and the United States, shows Montrealers were spending around $1.06 per litre nearly three months ago.
Drivers have seen a steady increase in fuel expenses over the past three months — despite provincial lockdown measures that make work from home mandatory when possible.
There has also been a nearly 10-cent jump in prices in Montreal since late January, when motorists were paying an average of $1.17 per litre.
As of this week, gas stations on the Island of Montreal are averaging a little higher than $1.27 per litre as some public health measures are loosened for the upcoming spring break. That’s an 8.5 per cent increase in costs in about a four-week period.
Quebec City also saw a similar upward trend in the past month as the government eased some lockdown restrictions. Gas prices have been on the rise since Feb. 8, when non-essential retail stores reopened in the province. Since then, the provincial capital has seen a jump from about $1.16 to a little over $1.26 as of this week.
Those who fill up in Montreal are currently paying more than other drivers in la belle province. The average price is $1.213 per litre in Quebec as of Friday afternoon, according to provincewide tracker Essence Montreal.
If you need to fuel up, however, CAA-Quebec recommends Montrealers do so now. The organization’s gasoline watch, which looks at costs and other factors, says the $1.272 average on the island on Friday is lower than its “realistic” price of $1.30.
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