Why Do Gas Prices Always Go Up Before The Weekend?

There seems to be two things you can always count on during a weekend in the GTA.

It will rain and be cold on at least one or both of the days when you’re not working.

And gas prices will be up while you’re ducking the bad weather.

Sure enough, it’s happened again.

Just one day after we told you to watch out for rising prices at the pumps, drivers on empty tanks woke up to some bad luck on Friday the 13th – the cost of a fill-up has risen again.

Most marquees are blaring out charges in the $1.05 range and that’s just for the cheap stuff.

As usual, world tensions and reserve supply concerns in the U.S. are getting the blame.

But how do you explain the “rising prices on Friday” syndrome?

Anyone who’s ever turned an ignition key has their suspicions.

But it turns out there really is an explanation.

World traders bank on international conflict. They automatically raise the price to hedge their bets on Friday because the oil markets are closed on the weekends.

“Traders going into the weekend like to cover themselves for any geopolitical developments over the weekend that might impact on supplies,” outlines Scotiabank economist Patricia Mohr. 

So if it’s true that what goes up must come down, your best bet is to wait until Monday to add more fuel. If the price is ever going to deflate, it’s after a calm weekend.

“The price seems to go down by as much as five cents,” believes Courtney Woodside. He’s a limo driver and the constant fluctuations are killing his bottom lines.

“I’m a new driver in the city of Toronto and with the fleet of cars we operate we spend $1,000 a day — a day! — on gas.”

Other drivers are equally uhnappy. And most are devising strategies to save on fuel when they can.

“I’m driving less, that’s for sure,” admits Lloyd Majola. “I live downtown, and if I have to go around downtown I just walk.”

“We don’t make unnecessary trips,” adds Dhorea Holly. “We tend to plan what we have to do and expedite it so that we can do several things in the one trip.”

“You know what?” confesses Medhi Madani. “I stopped driving now. Seriously. I stopped driving. I’m not driving any more. I usually take the GO train.”

There’s not much relief in sight.

But you can take some comfort in knowing that GTA drivers are getting something of a bargain.

A nationwide survey taken on Tuesday – when prices were a bit lower – shows other Canadians are forking over a lot more than we are.

Motorists in Vancouver are paying an eye-popping $1.17 a litre, while on the other side of the nation, Newfoundlanders are taking a Gander at $1.15.6.

And those in Labrador are facing the biggest bill of all. They’re paying over $1.21 a litre for regular.

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Ever wonder what you’d be paying if taxes weren’t included? The first figure indicates the current price, the second what you’d pay if taxes weren’t added.

B.C.
Vancouver: $1.17.2 (80.1)
Victoria: $1.14.2 (80.7)

Alberta
Calgary: 96.2 (71.8)
Edmonton: 96.0 (71.6)

Saskatchewan
Regina: $1.03.9 (73.0)
Saskatoon: $1.03.9 (73.0)

Manitoba
Brandon: 99.6 (72.4)
Winnipeg: 98.7 (71.6)

Ontario:
Hamilton: $1.05.9 (75.4)
Ottawa: $1.05.0 (74.5)
Toronto: $1.05.0 (74.5)

Quebec
Montreal: $1.14 (73.7)
Quebec City: $1.08.4 (69.9)
Sherbrooke: $1.09.4 (70.8)

New Brunswick
Fredericton: $1.05.3 (71.7)
Moncton: $1.05.5 (71.9)
Saint John: $1.05.2 (71.6)

Nova Scotia
Halifax: $1.13.9 (74.5)
Sydney: $1.15.0 (75.5)

Prince Edward Island
Charlottetown: $1.11.9 (74.1)

Newfoundland/Labrador
St. John’s: $1.13.1 (72.7)
Gander: $1.15.6 (74.9)
Corner Brook: $1.13.8 (73.3)

Northwest Territories
Yellowknife: $1.15.5 (88.4)

Yukon
Whitehorse: $1.10.9 (88.3)

Source: MJ Ervin & Associates

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How to make your money – and your car – go farther while gas prices are up.

Sure you have to fill up when you’re running low. But there are some things you can do to stretch that fuel in your tank.

Watch your warm-ups. You only need about 30 seconds before putting the car in gear. Otherwise, you’re just wasting fuel.

Don’t idle. It’s estimated one minute of sitting in neutral or park uses the same amount of gas consumed when you start your engine.

Accelerate slowly from a stop sign or a red light. So-called jack rabbit starts will use up your gas faster.

Don’t drive aggressively. The Ministry of Natural Resources claims you use 33 percent less gas on the highway and five percent less on city streets if you don’t go into overdrive while you’re on the roads.

Consider buying gas at night. It’s not just the lower price. Gas is the most dense when it’s cool out, like the evening or early morning. You may actually get slightly more for your money because pumps measure volume, not density.

Don’t overfill. Most new cars have an automatic ‘stop’ when the tank is really full. Adding a few extra squirts to reach an even amount on the price readout or to top it up usually just wastes fuel.

Try and drive at a constant rate of speed. Slowing down and speeding up wastes a lot of gas.

Check your tire pressure. The air eventually goes down, especially during the colder months. Driving with improper inflation in your tires can lead to equally improper inflation in your wallet. And it can also be dangerous.

Watch your weight. Too much junk in your trunk can create drag that weighs down your car and wastes fuel, especially on hills. And roof racks with nothing on them can be a fuel waster, too.

Consider car pooling or public transit. Not only is it environmentally friendly, but it can save you a lot on future fill-ups when someone else is doing the driving and your car stays in the garage.

How’s your gas cap? O.K., it seems crazy. But experts estimate some 22 million litres of the precious fuel literally disappears every year from drivers who don’t properly seal off their gas tanks.

Keep in tune. Having your car in peak shape will help it to run more efficiently. And that saves gas.

Plan your trip. Knowing where you’re going before you leave can help you put all those short hops together so you don’t waste any gas going back to a place you’ve already passed by.   

Wait till Monday. Prices sometimes go down when oil traders assess what happened during the weekend.