2023-10-06 16:32:37
Despite the drop in the price of gasoline, people in the greater Quebec region continue to pay too much for their fuel because service stations remain too greedy, according to CAA-Quebec.
“Even if the prices displayed at the pump have fallen, they remain too high due to the high margins charged at retail. So, the problem remains unresolved and persists in the region,” bluntly indicated Andrée-Ann Déry, communications advisor at CAA-Quebec, in a message to the QMI Agency.
Throughout the month of August, Quebec motorists paid 184.9 cents per liter for their liter of gasoline on average, a price which was then much higher than elsewhere in the province. The difference between prices at the pump in certain places in Quebec and in the National Capital was sometimes around 25 cents per liter.
Faced with such a disparity, CAA-Quebec turned to Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon to mandate the Régie de l’énergie to investigate the region’s gasoline prices, and in particular the margins of profits that retailers reserve for themselves.
According to the organization, the retail margin has increased 3 to 4 times more in the Capitale-Nationale than in Quebec as a whole since 2018-2019.
After the minister’s intervention, the price of fuel began to decrease from August 28. On Friday, it was 175.1 cents per liter on average in the region. At the same time the price of a liter of gasoline was 167 cents in Montreal.
This decrease cannot be explained by Pierre Fitzgibbon’s request to the Régie de l’énergie, underlines CAA-Québec. “Prices displayed have been adjusted downward in the region due to the decline in oil indicators,” it was stressed, reiterating that motorists pay less in other comparable regions.
“CAA-Quebec cannot explain this incongruity,” we added.
Things are brewing in Beauce
Investigators from the Federal Competition Bureau paid a visit to service stations in Saint-Georges, in Beauce, during the day on Thursday, as reported by Radio Beauce.
“This is excellent news,” rejoiced CAQ MP Samuel Poulin, who in June asked the competition commissioner to launch an investigation following noting that the price of gasoline was often higher in Better than elsewhere in Quebec. “Moreover, the price of gasoline fell by around 5 cents yesterday in Saint-George,” noted the elected official.
“What I have always wanted is for there to be competition in the St-Georges territory,” added Mr. Poulin.
The average price of gasoline today by region
Chaudière-Appalaches: 175.7 cents
Quebec: 175.1 cents
Mauricie: 174.9 cents
Estrie: 174.7 cents
Bas-Saint-Laurent : 174,4 cents
Laval : 169,2 cents
Lanaudière: 167.9 cents
Centre-du-Québec: 167.9 cents
Laurentians: 167.3 cents
Montreal: 167 cents
Montérégie: 166.4 cents
Outaouais: 164.5 cents
Abitibi-Témiscamingue: 164.3 cents
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean: 159.4 cents
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#Gasoline #expensive #Quebec #CAAQuebec