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  #1  
Old Posted Jul 4, 2017, 5:33 PM
Trainguy Trainguy is offline
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Gas Prices

I know this is a tired discussion but I can't help but get annoyed that Metro Van gas prices are $1.34 and much the country is below $1. I filled up in Bellingham last week at $0.82/L Can. I think there is a lot of greed going on in addition to our high gas taxes. Other regions have gas taxes yet they are not gouged. This just makes everything from driving to transportation of goods more expensive. Edmonton stations are at $0.824. Makes me sick!!!
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  #2  
Old Posted Jul 4, 2017, 5:39 PM
WarrenC12 WarrenC12 is offline
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Originally Posted by Trainguy View Post
I know this is a tired discussion but I can't help but get annoyed that Metro Van gas prices are $1.34 and much the country is below $1. I filled up in Bellingham last week at $0.82/L Can. I think there is a lot of greed going on in addition to our high gas taxes. Other regions have gas taxes yet they are not gouged. This just makes everything from driving to transportation of goods more expensive. Edmonton stations are at $0.824. Makes me sick!!!
Gas prices in Bellingham are always the same as ours once you account for taxes and US exchange. We have federal excise tax, GST, carbon tax and Translink tax on our gas. I think they pay roughly 8% state sales tax, depending on the county. Their prices still bounce around roughly in line with ours. I think it's a steady 30% cheaper or so, some of our taxes are per liter and others are a flat %.

This is how I understand it:

They are the same price otherwise because we are served by the same refineries in WA state that have been at capacity forever, but due to the long term outlook, nobody seems to want to build more refineries.

So it's "supply and demand" at the refinery capacity level.. supply can't really go up much.

With all that said, I can't wait until my Tesla model 3 order is fulfilled...
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Old Posted Jul 4, 2017, 5:44 PM
Caliplanner1 Caliplanner1 is offline
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Originally Posted by Trainguy View Post
I know this is a tired discussion but I can't help but get annoyed that Metro Van gas prices are $1.34 and much the country is below $1. I filled up in Bellingham last week at $0.82/L Can. I think there is a lot of greed going on in addition to our high gas taxes. Other regions have gas taxes yet they are not gouged. This just makes everything from driving to transportation of goods more expensive. Edmonton stations are at $0.824. Makes me sick!!!
Trainguy, I have been wondering if the growing dearth of gas station locations around the city ALSO has anything to do with rising gas prices in Metro Vancouver as more gas stations close in favor of other (more profitable) forms of urban land use development (e.g. condos/apartments etc.).....what do you think?
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Old Posted Jul 4, 2017, 5:49 PM
sacrifice333 sacrifice333 is offline
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Vancouver (or the GVRD that is subject to Translink tax) pays $0.47 per litre in tax.

Washington state pays approx. $0.216 per litre ($0.629/3.78 * 1.3FX).

So apples to apples, gas in WA should be CAD $0.254/litre cheaper. But as you pointed it out it's more like CAD $0.45 cheaper!

In reverse, USD $.739/gallon cheaper ($0.254 * 3.785 / 1.3FX). But we're more like USD $1.38/gallon more expensive!
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Old Posted Jul 4, 2017, 6:11 PM
Trainguy Trainguy is offline
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Originally Posted by WarrenC12 View Post
Gas prices in Bellingham are always the same as ours once you account for taxes and US exchange. We have federal excise tax, GST, carbon tax and Translink tax on our gas. I think they pay roughly 8% state sales tax, depending on the county. Their prices still bounce around roughly in line with ours. I think it's a steady 30% cheaper or so, some of our taxes are per liter and others are a flat %.

This is how I understand it:

They are the same price otherwise because we are served by the same refineries in WA state that have been at capacity forever, but due to the long term outlook, nobody seems to want to build more refineries.

So it's "supply and demand" at the refinery capacity level.. supply can't really go up much.

With all that said, I can't wait until my Tesla model 3 order is fulfilled...
Great info... so what you are saying is that the rest of Canada is paying way less than we are because our gas taxes are so high and theirs are much lower? has to be more than that... Edmonton has always had much lower gas prices...
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Old Posted Jul 4, 2017, 6:19 PM
WarrenC12 WarrenC12 is offline
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Originally Posted by Trainguy View Post
Great info... so what you are saying is that the rest of Canada is paying way less than we are because our gas taxes are so high and theirs are much lower? has to be more than that... Edmonton has always had much lower gas prices...
Refinery access and taxes. Refineries are the bottleneck we have here, shared with at least the NW part of WA state.

But Metro Van has Translink and Carbon taxes. I'm not aware of anywhere else in Canada with both of those. Of course that will change when federal carbon tax minimums take effect.
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Old Posted Jul 4, 2017, 6:38 PM
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Originally Posted by WarrenC12 View Post
Refinery access and taxes. Refineries are the bottleneck we have here, shared with at least the NW part of WA state.

But Metro Van has Translink and Carbon taxes. I'm not aware of anywhere else in Canada with both of those. Of course that will change when federal carbon tax minimums take effect.
There's also plain-out greed. Within Metro Vancouver there's a 17c/L tax that goes to TransLink. Outside of Metro Vancouver they don't pay this (except in Victoria, they pay 3.5c/L to BC Transit). One would expect that right over the border between Metro Vancouver and Abbotsford would give a big drop in gas prices, right?

Well no because there are gas stations at Fraser Highway & 264th in Langley that are selling gas for 124.9 c/L, and gas stations further down Fraser Highway in Abbotsford selling for 119.8 c/L, a difference of only 5 c/L and not 17 c/L one might expect.
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Old Posted Jul 4, 2017, 6:43 PM
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Originally Posted by Trainguy View Post
Great info... so what you are saying is that the rest of Canada is paying way less than we are because our gas taxes are so high and theirs are much lower? has to be more than that... Edmonton has always had much lower gas prices...
NOPE!

If it was just taxes... That difference *should be* approx. CAD $.26/litre.

Vancouver (or the GVRD that is subject to Translink tax) pays $0.47 per litre in tax. Washington state pays approx. $0.216 per litre ($0.629/3.78 * 1.3FX).

Also most of Canada is hovering around CAD $0.82 or approx. $0.40 cheaper than Vancouver. Montreal apparently has the highest gas taxes in Canada and their current price at the pump? $1.009!!!
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Last edited by sacrifice333; Jul 4, 2017 at 9:31 PM.
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Old Posted Jul 4, 2017, 6:58 PM
Trainguy Trainguy is offline
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Originally Posted by CanSpice View Post
There's also plain-out greed. Within Metro Vancouver there's a 17c/L tax that goes to TransLink. Outside of Metro Vancouver they don't pay this (except in Victoria, they pay 3.5c/L to BC Transit). One would expect that right over the border between Metro Vancouver and Abbotsford would give a big drop in gas prices, right?

Well no because there are gas stations at Fraser Highway & 264th in Langley that are selling gas for 124.9 c/L, and gas stations further down Fraser Highway in Abbotsford selling for 119.8 c/L, a difference of only 5 c/L and not 17 c/L one might expect.
Has to be greed. The Costco in Prince George is $0.939. If they get their gas from WA state and it has to be trucked all the way up there, you would think their gas would not be that cheap. I do agree that all our add taxes are partly to blame.
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  #10  
Old Posted Jul 4, 2017, 8:03 PM
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Metro Vancouver gets alot of its gas from Washington state( Anacortes\Cherry Poimt refineries ) so the exchange rate has to be included.
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Old Posted Jul 4, 2017, 8:04 PM
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they don't pay the translink tax in prince george. Once you leave the GVRD, gas drops accordingly to the transit tax or levy. Abbotsford is cheaper than all the cities in the GVRD because its not subject to the transit tax as its not part of the GVRD.

Gas right now in northern alberta ranges anywhere from 99.9 to 113.9. Across the BC border in NE BC gas is around 113.9

Alberta started a carbon tax on gas in january and there was a noticeable price increase at the pump.

Gas is currently at a surprisingly low rate for summer time, it usually goes up in summer.
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Old Posted Jul 4, 2017, 8:25 PM
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Washington State has a 49.4018.4¢/gal gas tax (0.1307 US dollars per liter)
Federal gas tax is 18.4¢/gal (0.0487 US dollars per liter)

So it's 17.94¢/liter in excise taxes. Then add in 8.7% sales tax in Bellingham and you get 19.5¢/liter in total taxes.

In Canadian dollars that's $0.25 in taxes.


Vancouverites pay $0.47 per litre in tax. So the difference in just taxation should be 0.22 centers per liter.
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Old Posted Jul 4, 2017, 9:16 PM
Trainguy Trainguy is offline
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Originally Posted by Jebby View Post
Washington State has a 49.4018.4¢/gal gas tax (0.1307 US dollars per liter)
Federal gas tax is 18.4¢/gal (0.0487 US dollars per liter)

So it's 17.94¢/liter in excise taxes. Then add in 8.7% sales tax in Bellingham and you get 19.5¢/liter in total taxes.

In Canadian dollars that's $0.25 in taxes.


Vancouverites pay $0.47 per litre in tax. So the difference in just taxation should be 0.22 centers per liter.
Makes you wonder why I paid $0.52 per L less in Bellingham last week... Price is still the same there today at the Fred Myer...
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Old Posted Jul 4, 2017, 9:39 PM
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The prices of gas around Langley was always 2-4 cents more a litre than in Surrey, until Costco started selling gas in Langley. Now it is the same. So I think there is a 'how much can we get away with' in the gas prices around the Lower Mainland.
The prices peeved me enough, that I bought a Chevy Volt. One year and I still have 1/3 the original tank of gas. The car may cost more, but it sure feels good not giving money to greedy gas stations every week.
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Old Posted Jul 4, 2017, 10:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Trainguy View Post
Makes you wonder why I paid $0.52 per L less in Bellingham last week... Price is still the same there today at the Fred Myer...
I always fill up there or larco on grand view just north of ferndale. It's usually 40-50 cents cheaper per gallon than Blaine
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Old Posted Jul 4, 2017, 10:19 PM
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Anywhere Costco has opened up a gas bar, gas prices have gone down to fair market value. Port Coquitlam and Langley almost always has lower gas prices than the rest of Metro Vancouver. Same with Abbotsford, Victoria, Kamloops, and Prince George. I remember Prince George used to be pretty bad before their Costco gas bar.
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Old Posted Jul 5, 2017, 1:34 AM
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Does PG really get its gas all the way from Washington? I would have thought it would make more sense to get the gas from Alberta which is much much closer.
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Old Posted Jul 5, 2017, 2:17 AM
Caliplanner1 Caliplanner1 is offline
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Anywhere Costco has opened up a gas bar, gas prices have gone down to fair market value. Port Coquitlam and Langley almost always has lower gas prices than the rest of Metro Vancouver. Same with Abbotsford, Victoria, Kamloops, and Prince George. I remember Prince George used to be pretty bad before their Costco gas bar.
Interesting....(I think that) there's a Costco "gas bar" on Marine Drive near the Marine Gateway area of South Vancouver. So therefore that site should help bring down gas prices in that part of Vancouver.
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Old Posted Jul 5, 2017, 3:24 AM
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there's no costco there. They only have gas bars at their stores. Superstore has a gas station on marine drive just east of main.

You need a costco membership to get gas at their stations, in Alberta they are usually a good 5-8 cents per litre cheaper.
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Old Posted Jul 5, 2017, 4:40 AM
Caliplanner1 Caliplanner1 is offline
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there's no costco there. They only have gas bars at their stores. Superstore has a gas station on marine drive just east of main.

You need a costco membership to get gas at their stations, in Alberta they are usually a good 5-8 cents per litre cheaper.
Yes, my mistake. I'm still a relative stranger to that area of Vancouver. My wife (who does the driving here) tells me that she thinks that the Superstore gas prices are somewhat lower than the regular gas stations.
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