Fuel tax relief extended three more months, to ease rising prices

By Rob Vogt Local Press Writer
Motorists will continue to pay 13 cents less per litre of gasoline or diesel at the pumps, as the provincial government announced it will not charge the provincial fuel tax for at least another three months.
In an announcement on June 22, the provincial government said with the fuel tax relief program in place, Albertans save money with every fill-up.
With the corresponding reduction in GST, this amounts to total savings of about $6.80 per tank for a compact car, at 50 litres; $7.21 for a small SUV, at 53 litres; $12.65 for a mid-size SUV, at 93 litres; $18.50 for a large pickup truck, at 136 litres; and $185.50 for a semi-trailer, at 1,364 litres.
The government committed to evaluating the program quarterly and reinstating it in stages only if the average price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil fell below $90 per barrel. For the four-week period ending June 15, WTI averaged $115.88 per barrel.
The government will re-evaluate the program in September.
It was also noted the provincial government continues to call on Ottawa to consider similar consumer relief measures. If the Government of Canada paused the collection of both the federal carbon tax and the federal fuel tax while the price of WTI oil remained above $90 per barrel, drivers would save almost $22 more on every 100 litres of gasoline.