Drivers woke up to another round of pain at the pumps as gas prices jumped about $1.90 a litre for regular. It’s the latest in a line of high gas prices for consumers all summer. Erica Stillo said she can’t believe the number she is about to pay on Saturday. By the time she filled up, prices had eased at $186.9 a litre. Still, when the total for a full tank comes to $84, it’s of little comfort. “That’s insane,” she told CTV News Ottawa. “I don’t think I’ve ever paid that much to fill a tank.” Stillo said she had been putting off filling up for as long as she could. “I have ten kilometers left of gas and I was holding off, but it’s just not getting any better,” she said. Working from home helps save on gas and can absorb the cost but Stillo says she still drives less these days. “I am less likely to do road trips, and I love road trips,” she said. “I can afford it, but I can’t imagine how people are doing it.” Gulnabi Meemapal has been driving a taxi for 24 years. He says high gas prices have proved to be devastating. “I used to pay $30 a day if I was working a 12-hour shift,” he said. “Now, we pay $50. So, the $20 of that money was for our social life. Now, we don’t have no social life.” Meemapal said he does all he can to save on gas by filling up only when he has to and at the lowest price he can find, but making money depends on people getting in his vehicle, and high costs are a challenge. “I have to stay in the car and it’s not guaranteed that I can make money or not. The taxi business is not like before,” he said. “I feel stress…I have to work three or four hours extra to cover the gas money.” Ben Featherston, who works at a Honda Dealership as a service director, said prices at the pump are driving people to think of alternatives. “I think the consumer’s really starting to see that the value in the hybrids, in the electric also,” he said. “I think if the market’s trending that way for sure.” Gas analyst Dan McTeague with Canadians for Affordable Energy said high demand and low supply are driving up costs but there are ways for consumers to save. “Gas stations tend to shed as much as $0.10 to $0.15 in the evening. So, never buy your gasoline in the morning,” he advised. On Friday, G7 countries agreed to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil from emergency reserves in the coming weeks. McTeague said on Sunday, gas prices are expected to drop another four cents a litre and recommends waiting to fill up until then if you can.
