A nine-cent jump in gasoline prices has motorists fuming and wondering when the price hikes will end.
The price per litre at the pumps in Summerland rose from 138.9 cents to $147.9 cents for regular unleaded gasoline.
Other communities saw similar increases at their pumps.
An increase of nine cents a litre works out to $4.50 for a 50-litre fill. This amount of money is noticeable.
It’s more than the cost of two large coffees at a coffee shop.
It’s more than the price a two-litre container of milk at the grocery store.
It’s more than the price of a loaf of bread.
While the price has started to come down, it is still considerably higher than it was before the price hike.
Some motorists have referred to the sudden increase as price fixing and would like some controls to prevent such increases in the future.
At the provincial level, Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson said the provincial New Democrats should be reducing costs for motorists, while NDP Premier John Horgan said the sudden increase has to do with fuel company profits, not with taxation.
Gasoline is not the only fuel source available.
However, a vehicle designed to run on gasoline will not run on Diesel fuel or electrical power, and the conversion to propane is not cheap or easy.
A few years ago, the municipality of Summerland installed several electric vehicle charging stations for drivers of electric vehicles.
If prices remain high, expect to see drivers begin to make the switch to electric or hybrid vehicles.
Otherwise, if the price drops at the end of summer or in fall, drivers may remember this year as an annoying but temporary time of gas pains.
