'Unprecedented' gas hikes in the Maritimes may not be the end

N.B. gas prices increase New Brunswickers woke up to a sudden increase in gas prices Sunday, some call the rise a historic move by regulators. Laura Brown reports.

Another unscheduled price adjustment has seen the price of regular, self-serve jump about ten cents overnight in New Brunswick.

The energy and utilities board now has the max price set at $1.827.

Dan McTeague, President of Canadians for Affordable Energy, believes it’s the first time he’s seen three price changes in a space of 72 hours – in the history of regulated prices.

“It does reflect the seriousness with which there is now obviously, for any doubters, a true energy crisis that’s giving way to a global security crisis,” he said, "so all of this means more pain at the pumps.”

The Maritime provinces are seeing the use of the interrupter clause – which allows the increases if the price of fuel has changed dramatically beyond the seven-day average.

Nova Scotia woke up to a similar adjustment Saturday and it has been eye opening for most.

“You throw in the high prices of food and stuff, it’s just another devastating blow to anybody who’s on sort of a tighter or fixed income,” said Paul Telford in Halifax.

Mike Cassidy, owner of Maritime Bus and Coach Atlantic says the increases had his team meeting over the weekend to plan for what the next several months could look like.

“Do we have enough bus routes? Do we have enough frequency or options for people to travel? Because in our opinion, once this sets in and people really analyze it – your whole transportation behavior could change,” he said.

It could mean more people opting for walking, biking or the bus – an entire lifestyle change, he said.

“Because that price of fuel is just not your car, or your passenger vehicle, or your truck – it’s going to affect everything that we do,” he said.

In the meantime, the increases the Maritimes saw this weekend may not be the end.

“Make no mistake, add another five, perhaps even as much as ten cents a litre,” said McTeague. “We are heading towards a $1.90 one way or another by the looks of things.”