Fuel prices dip below a dollar in the South Okanagan

PENTICTON – Gas prices appear to be following temperature patterns in the South Okanagan this week – trending downwards.

The price of a litre of regular gasoline fell below a dollar – 99.9 cents per litre – at the Kaleden Petro Can earlier this week.

“I’ve seen an increase in customers since our price dropped three days ago,” said Kaleden Petro Can attendant Mark Klering. “My friends have been coming out from Penticton to fuel up.”

At Twin Lakes Market on Highway 3A, owner Ken Horncastle figures Penticton prices will be down by next week as well.

“There’s pressure towards lower prices,” he said, noting he was also selling regular gas at 99.9 cents per litre. Horncastle figured the last time he sold gas under one dollar per litre was in 2008.

South of Skaha Lake, from Okanagan Falls to Osoyoos, prices ranged from 99.7 cents to 101.9 cents per litre on Tuesday morning, while prices in the City of Penticton and points north remained in the 104.9 to 105.9 cents per litre range.

On the “Tomorrow’s gas price today” website, predictions are for gas prices to fall in the region through next week. The website is predicting a price of 102.9 cents per litre for the Kelowna area by New Years Eve. The website does not post prices for Penticton.

The current B.C. average price per litre of regular gas is 104.8, while nationally the average price is 96.4 cents per litre.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.