Pump pain worse than normal this spring

A gasoline price spike is to be expected around this time of year, when refineries switch from producing heating fuel to gasoline.

But prices in Sudbury have stayed stable at around $1.37 per litre according to the gas price-tracking website GasBuddy.com. The price also happens to be the national average, which is a big jump from last year's $1.23.

According to GasBuddy, gas prices in the Greater Toronto Area Wednesday ranged from $1.28 per litre in Brampton to $1.36 at some gas stations in Pickering.

In Ottawa, gas prices were as low as $1.29 per litre and as high as $1.38 per litre Wednesday.

GasBuddy co-founder Jason Toews says the price has never been this high at this time of year — although it hasn't surpassed the all time record of $1.42 in September, 2008.

John Kiemele, chief operating officer at energy consultant En-Pro International, says there are a few factors aggravating the price spike this time around.

For instance, the extreme weather in Canada has led to a delay in building up inventories of gasoline, just as demand is starting to pick up.

The loonie's drop against the U.S. dollar is also making things worse, because energy products are bought and sold in American currency.

With files from the Canadian Press