Gas pains: Price at the pumps expected to jump again overnight

Patience is running thin among some drivers after gas prices reached an all-time high in the GTA Tuesday.

Pump prices have hit a pocket-draining 139.6 cents, meaning motorists who forgot to fill up Monday are probably kicking themselves.  And it’s only going to get worse, with another 1.5 cent jump projected overnight.  That would put the price of a litre at 141.1 — it’s highest level ever.

“There was no disruption in supply that I know of internationally or domestically. There’s been no peak in demand, but these prices would suggest that there is something terribly out of sync with the way in which we arrive at prices, both in Canada and around the world,” industry watchdog Dan McTeague said after he warned the 6.5-cent jump was coming.

The previous high came in 2008, when the price of gas jumped to 138.6 cents per litre after oil traded near $150 a barrel.

On Monday, the price of crude oil rose more than $5, hitting US$102.55 a barrel. 

For drivers that meant the price reprieve that came last week when crude dropped almost $17 a barrel would be short-lived.

“It’s a dirty game by oil and gas companies,” a motorist named Nadar told CityNews. 

Another frustrated driver couldn’t help but reminisce about times before gas broke the dollar per litre mark.

“You remember the days when it was 89 cents and that was high, now it’s going to be 1.40 — it’s unacceptable,”  Erik Fishman said.

This time last year, drivers were paying just under $1 per litre.

Torontonians may find some comfort in the fact that we’re not paying the highest price in the country — drivers in Montreal and Vancouver are shelling out $1.44 per litre.

Gas saving tips:

• Avoid jack rabbit starts after a red light turns green. They consume a lot of fuel.
• minimize use of AC or heat.
• Go the speed limit – or even below it. You’ll use less gas.
• Don’t brake or accelerate suddenly.
• Coast down hills.
• Leave more space in front of you so if traffic slows down and someone is forced to brake temporarily, you won’t have to. Keeping your foot off that pedal will improve your overall fuel economy.
• make sure your tire pressure isn’t low.
• make sure your air filter isn’t plugged.  When it is it doesn’t allow the engine to breathe properly, forcing it to work harder and use more gas.
• Lighten your load:  Unloading your trunk to make your car lighter also saves fuel.
• don’t warm the car up for too long – 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.
• 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.
• Consider car pooling, public transit, or bike riding.

Here’s a look at gas prices across the country Tuesday, courtesy of tomorrowsgaspricetoday.com: