‘Don’t rip off consumers’: Smith warns gas companies as carbon tax ends

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the government will be watching to ensure gas companies remove the consumer carbon pricing after the tax ends at the end of

With consumer carbon pricing ending at the end of March, consumers are hopeful they’ll see a break at the pumps.

An economic study by Desjardins says it should reduce the cost of a litre of gas by about 18 cents.

But days after the announcement, gas prices in Alberta shot up about 13 cents per litre, leading many to wonder if gas companies would pass the savings along to consumers.

Alberta’s Premier Danielle Smith was asked about it at an announcement in Calgary on Friday.

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“Don’t rip off consumers, is my message to the gas companies, because we have a way of catching you,” she responded.

“We know what the wholesale prices are, we monitor those closely. And [Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape] Dale Nally has the means to be able to ensure that those savings are passed through to customers. So they’ve got another couple of days to make sure that they’re appropriately pricing their product.”

In a statement to CTV News Edmonton, Nally’s press secretary said so far no incidents of fuel price gouging have been found.

“In general, the retail prices between local fuel stations have been within reason and continue to be lower than average prices in other provinces,” Brandon Aboultaif wrote.

“Albertans are encouraged to shop around for the best gas price, just as they would in any competitive market environment.”