Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Nanaimo - Gas-Gouging Capital Of Vancouver Island

CHEK News pays attention to Nanaimo Gas Prices

Nanaimo's reputation is spreading, and not in a good way. CHEK News did a feature on the price of gasoline in Nanaimo which appeared on their supper hour broadcast. The broadcast points out that Nanaimo's gas prices are well ahead of other Island centres and the only explanation being offered for the high gas prices is 'because they can'.

Regular readers of Nanaimo Info Blog will know this has been a sore point I have drawn attention to for years now. I have questioned whether there is any genuine competition in Nanaimo as the same price at most stations would seem to suggest there is no real competition.

Gas comes into Nanaimo yet has consistently been more expensive than Duncan (for years) which arguably should cost more simply to ship it from Nanaimo to Duncan. Victoria pump prices have a transit tax built in which Nanaimo does not, making the real spread between Nanaimo and Victoria even more.

If any readers of this blog know answers to the following I would dearly love to hear it:

1. How many suppliers of wholesale gasoline are there in Nanaimo?
2. Any difference in the gas at the Chevron pump and the Petro Canada pump? Does there gasoline come into Nanaimo from different places?
3. How many retail stations are run by the same owners?
4. How is the actual retail prlce determined from one station to another.

I wonder what the Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Nanaimo and our own City Council think of the reputation we are earning as the Gas-Gouging Capital of Vancouver Island?


Following prices taken from Gas Buddy at 5:50 pm Jan. 20/16.

Victoria 98.9

Duncan 95.9

Comox 91.9

Nanaimo 108.9

Calgary 68.9

Ottaw 76.9


allvoices

5 comments:

  1. The 4 majors who supply all of the gas for Nanaimo & North/South are:
    Imperial Oil (ESSO) Zorkin Rd
    Petro Canada Stewart Ave
    Shell Canada Bear Pt Chemanius
    Chevron Hatch Pt Cobble Hill.
    They store in bulk the base gasoline in 3 octane levels,Reg,Mid grade & Premium(some will also have Avgas LL100 in bulk)
    Depending on where the load is going certain additives are injected into that particular load. Independents such as Co-Op,Gas n Go will receive the base product.

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  2. I'm curious if anyone has any realistic ideas as to how to stop this? Boycotts are unrealistic... could council enact some sort of bylaw to force a more realistic price?

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  3. I believe the big question is number three - How many retail stations are run by the same owners? There certainly seems to be some collaboration on the price setting and I for one would like to see it stop. I also have a question as to why there are so many derelict gas station locations which are such an eyesore around Nanaimo and would like to see the property owners held responsible for improving these sites.

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  4. I am more upset with co-op, a organization built for the members . I live 2 blocks from co-op but drive to ladysmith co-op to purchase my gas up tp 9 cents a litre cheaper ,what gives

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  5. There is one way of getting the gasoline companies to take notice but it would be almost impossible to get it to work. However ..... If we could get all people who buy gas in the Nanaimo area to start on say ... May 1st to buy their gas from one selected ( and one only, would not matter which one ) gas station for the rest of May ( and further if required).. then just think how fast the other companies would react following their no gas sales !!!!

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