Portage la Prairie residents saw some much-needed relief at the gas pumps yesterday morning as the consumer carbon price was officially set to zero. As of Monday evening, fuel was priced at around $1.54 per litre, but by Tuesday morning, it had dropped to around $1.36 per litre.
Although this is a welcome change and will save Manitobans around $9 to fill a 50L tank, some still wonder why prices remain higher than in neighbouring communities.
One resident, Diane Romanow, filled up her tank yesterday and says she is happy with the money she will save.
“I'm happy! It's a nice drop!"
Ray, a new resident of Portage, also filled up yesterday and though he is pleased with the price drop, he has been inquiring with gas stations as to why the prices remain higher than those in areas like Brandon.
"I just phoned and asked why the price in Portage was so high. We came from Brandon, and it was about $1.39 [per litre] or so when here it was really high. They told me the price is set with the bigger cities, but either way it’s a good change."
Local Co-op gas bar attendants noticed the pumps were quite a bit busier in recent days, with many taking advantage of the lower fuel costs while they last.
“It's been busy! It wasn’t like this on Monday! I’m sure people are happy with the price drop.”