The price per liter at the pump is much more expensive than the realistic price in several regions, according to CAA-Quebec, which denounces the excessive profit margins of up to 27 cents per litre.
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The situation is particularly deplorable in a dozen regions of Quebec since Tuesday, where the owners of gas stations make at least 20 cents profit on each liter of gas sold.
“The industry is slow to retransmit to motorists the significant declines in oil indicators in recent days”, denounces the organization.
It is on the North Shore that we find the highest price at the pump – just like the profit margin. While the realistic price according to CAA-Quebec would be $1.58/L, it costs an average of $1.73/L, or a retail margin of $0.27/L.
The situation is just as alarming in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Centre-du-Québec, Mauricie, Estrie, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Abitibi-Témiscamingue and in Chaudière-Appalaches.
In the greater Quebec City region, the average price is $1.70/L, while the realistic price is $1.59/L. The retail margin is $0.22/L.
“Although retail margins of more than 20 cents/litre have been observed on a few occasions in certain regions of Quebec during 2022, such a situation rarely lasts more than a day”, underlines CAA-Quebec, by press release.
Meanwhile, in the greater Montreal area, motorists only pay $1.56/L, while retailers in the region have the highest cost of acquisition in the province due to transportation tax. in common.
“The industry needs to explain to motorists what justifies such retail margins and such discrepancies between pump prices in different regions,” the organization says.