As the province reaches the peak driving season, the price of gasoline also hit levels not seen in a decade.
Given that, people were asked in Bashaw Star’s recent web poll — Has the price of gasoline changed your driving habits? — and two-thirds (66 per cent, 14 votes) of respondents stated yes. The other seven votes indicated ‘no’, the price had not changed how or when the drive.
Gas prices have seen a slow, though steady climb upwards from the average Alberta price of 107.9 cents per litre at the end of February until it reached 124.9 in the middle of April.
However, just two weeks later the price spiked seven cents per litre, in what experts explained was a jump in the wholesale price, sparked by some unexpected supply issues at some western Canadian refineries — mostly because of delayed restarts from scheduled maintenance shutdowns.
Unfortunately for consumers, the mostly hot and dry summer has meant the price of fuel remains high as demand refuses to dry up with drivers headed out on weekends. The provincial average price currently sits around 132.1 cents, with prices having reached as high as 141.9 in some places.
Take moment to check out and comment on this week’s poll at the Bashaw Star’s Facebook page or by visiting www.bashawstar.com/web-poll.
Bashaw Star’s web polls are a way to engage with readers and get a feel for what residents want. The polls do not represent an official petition or plebiscite.