Gas prices jumped to $1.649 at some service stations in Greater Victoria on Thursday — an all-time high for the region.
Other stations were several cents per litre lower. The Costco in Langford was lowest at $1.509, according to GasBuddy.com, which tracks gas prices.
It is common for other stations to move up once pump prices start to increase.
Prices have been rising in recent weeks. Last year, the high in Greater Victoria reached $1.559.
Metro Vancouver is higher than Greater Victoria this week, with some motorists paying $1.679.
Part of the jump is from a one-cent increase in B.C.’s carbon tax.
GasBuddy predicted higher prices, saying that Greater Victoria and other larger regions in Western Canada could see a further increase of two cents per litre.
One factor is the transition to a more expensive blend of gasoline, which happens every year from April to mid-September. Dan McTeague, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy, said federal law requires refiners to produce and sell gasoline that is less likely to evaporate when temperatures are warmer.
Prices are also being affected by a drop in the amount of available gasoline because several refineries that supply British Columbia are down for maintenance or are having unexpected problems, he said.
