Gasoline Watch
Pay the right price with Gasoline Watch, a one-of-a-kind tool that lets you compare, at a glance, the realistic price of gas calculated by CAA-Quebec with the average pump price in your area.
Realistic price according to CAA-Quebec
The realistic price is calculated based on the daily acquisition cost indicator and the average retail margin over the past 52 weeks as established by CAA-Quebec.
Average pump price
This is the average of regular gasoline prices in the largest urban areas of each of Quebec’s administrative regions. It is supplied by the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS).
Interested in learning more about gas pricing?
Not only does Gasoline Watch give you an insight into the daily price of gasoline in your area, it also provides you with a better understanding of what goes into setting prices at the pump.
Gasoline Watch in focus
The calculation of the realistic price for each administrative region includes the daily acquisition cost indicator and the average retail margin for the past 52 weeks. Check out the factors that influence the price of gas.
CAA-Quebec calculates the daily acquisition cost indicator by adding the rack price,* transportation costs and applicable taxes.** This indicator varies from day to day, depending on a number of influencing factors.
The 52-week average retail margin is updated by CAA-Quebec every Monday. It covers a service station’s operating expenses as well as its owner’s profit. In its Gasoline Watch tool, CAA-Quebec has also included the taxes paid by consumers (GST and QST) in its calculation of the margin.
* Provided by Bloomberg in its Oil Buyer’s Guide.
** Published by the Régie de l’énergie
CAA-Quebec has calculated the impact, for four different classes of vehicle, of increases of 2, 4 and 6 cents in the price of a litre of gasoline for a motorist who drives 15,000km annually, starting at a base price of $137.9/litre. The extra cost per year varies from $22.49 for a compact car should the price rise by 2 cents, to $116.69 for a full-size pickup truck should the price rise by 6 cents.
Beyond the elements outlined in the Gasoline price component section, prices charged by different gas stations in a given area may vary according to their degree of competition, type of service station, and sales volume.