Whether it’s slashing prices for all motorists or offering loyalty programs that save cardholders money, fuel discounts reflect competition among gas stations, says one analyst. On Wednesday, Orangestore locations, under the Petro Canada name, offered a $0.15/litre reduction for a few hours. On Thursday, Circle K, Irving gas stations, cut prices by $0.10/litre from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. “The landscape remains competitive,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at Gasbuddy.com. “Stations are doing different things and having different strategies to get a leg up on the competition, and competition’s a good thing. “I don’t know if it’s going to become more frequent or less frequent. Obviously, there is a cost to these programs as well.” Despite traffic snarls and long wait times around some gas stations, motorists who spoke to CTV News Atlantic felt it was a worthwhile endeavour. “It usually costs almost $100 to fill my vehicle, so I’m hoping it’ll be a little less,” one driver said. “I believe I’m going to save probably like another 10 bucks at least,” another driver said. “But that is still a good deal for the gas prices nowadays.” “It’s good. I think right now you need to use any savings and every savings that you get,” said a motorist. “I checked my app. I saw where there was a short window we can fuel up. And it just so happened today that I need to fuel up today, so I took advantage of it.” $5 in savings was up for grabs for a 50-litre tank on Thursday, while anyone with a 90-litre tank saved $13.50. “As somebody who drives a vehicle myself, any opportunity to fill up when prices are lower is certainly most welcome,” said De Haan. “Oftentimes, filling your tank up is, you know, dip your card, and leave,” he said. “So, businesses would like to potentially let you know more of their offerings, to go inside and get coffee or a drink or something to eat.”
