Gas prices expected to fall in Manitoba

Gas prices in Manitoba are starting to fall due to the switchover to winter gasoline.

Manitobans could see some further relief the next time they fill up at the pump.

Patrick De Haan, petroleum analyst with GasBuddy, said gas stations in Manitoba have dropped prices for regular fuel by approximately 4.5 cents per litre and he expects prices to keep falling not just in Manitoba, but across Canada.

“We’ve now made the transition back to cheaper winter gasoline, along with falling gasoline demand,” he said. “As long as the temperatures continue to cool off, we tend to see less gasoline consumption.”

De Haan said gas stations are allowed to switch over to selling winter gasoline starting Sept. 16, once they’ve run through their summer supply.

Prices in Manitoba on Thursday hovered around 130.6 cents per litre, and De Haan said prices could fall another 10 to 25 cents per litre as the weather gets colder, but it all depends on the strength of the Canadian dollar compared to the U.S.

However, vehicles that use diesel fuel will likely be paying more.

“Unlike gasoline, which sees peak demand in the summer and lower demand in the winter, for diesel and heating oil, it’s somewhat the opposite,” De Haan said. “Not only will heating oil start to see more consumption, but as farmers get out to harvest their crops, we see a big jump in diesel consumption as well.”

Prices will rise again in April, he added, when summer gasoline returns to the pumps.

- With files from CTV’s Will Reimer