Gas prices to jump eight cents a litre in New Brunswick with new clean fuel regulations taking effect Friday

Gas prices are set to rise again in Atlantic Canada, with New Brunswick seeing the largest spike.

Less than a week after the carbon tax rolled out on July 1 increasing the price in fuel, the federal government will introduce new “clean fuel regulations” beginning July 7. The price of fuel will jump by a projected eight cents a litre in New Brunswick, while Nova Scotia drivers are set to see an increase just under four cents a litre.

“People are barely able to eat,” says driver Marcus McCue. “You see the people all around Saint John in the tents and stuff like that and now you want to raise gas? I don’t know.”

“I get why we are trying to do it,” fellow driver Randy Lundrigan says. “To try not to leave such an imprint on mother earth.”

“Well if it goes up it goes up because everyone is going to put the 20 dollars in and pay 5 cents or 10 cents more whatever it is,” said another Saint John resident. “They are going to have to pay for it.”

The eight cent jump was set by the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board on recommendations made from the company Grant Thornton Limited.

Jonathan Alward is the vice president of policy with the Atlantica Centre for Energy. He notes the carbon tax and the clean fuel regulations have the same goal, to drive up the price of fossil fuels and reduce emissions.

“The carbon tax is really designed to sway people away from using fossil fuels by increasing the price each year at least until 2030,” says Alward. “The clean fuel regulations are designed to help the fossil fuel sector produce cleaner fuels for drivers across the region.”

The fuel hikes come at an already stressful time for Atlantic Canadians with inflation rates remaining high. Alward notes Maritimers rely on fossil fuels more than other parts of the country, and cleaner options aren’t always in the cards.

“So many residents, even if they can afford it, don’t have access to buy an electric vehicle to reduce their use,” says Alward. “We don’t have public transit the same as you would find in Toronto or Ottawa or other big metropolitan cities.”

“I think it’s really important for the federal government to understand those realities of living in Atlantic Canada, and while it is important to reduce our emissions and there is a lot of ways to do that, continually increasing the cost is going to have a disproportionate impact on Atlantic Canadians.”

The federal government is set to roll out rebates to help New Brunswickers with the rising cost of fuel. New Brunswick residents can expect to start seeing those rebates in October.

For the latest New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.