Anybody know why the price of diesel seems so high these days?

McGuillicuddy

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Joined
Apr 23, 2013
Location
Canada
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2003 Jetta Wagon (5MT)
For most of my TDI ownership time (which is admittedly only a few years on-and-off) the price of diesel has been fairly close to the price of regular 87 unleaded. Sometimes a few cents higher, occasionally little lower, but not too much difference. But for the last month or so I'm seeing diesel being 15-20 cents/L higher than 87 gas. It's closer to 91 gas these days! Is there any particular reason for this that I don't know about? Or is it just my local area where this is happening?
 
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2ManyKMfor1Tank

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Feb 25, 2009
Location
Grand Valley, ON
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2000 Jetta
Typically prices match gas in summer or even a bit lower. Come fall and winter, diesel competes with home heating oil, more demand = higher price. This was the first summer that diesel was higher than gas that I've seen. Some reserves have diesel at .97, considered getting a couple of 55L drums and stocking up, but haven't yet.
 

petee_c

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Jun 2, 2014
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Heidelberg, Ontario, Canada
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15 Golf TDI, was 06 Jetta TDI, 15 q7 tdi, was 11 Q7 TDI
In Waterloo it looks like Regular 87 is $1.08/L and Diesel is $1.27/L

That's an 18% difference.... I don't recall if it's been that high before...

When the Ford PC's took power, and they promised tax savings at the pump, did Diesel get missed?

Peter
 

Jetta_Pilot

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Apr 14, 2005
Location
West Hill, Ont.
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2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
Well Cdn $ 1.27 looks like a bargain to me since here in Mexico I pay Cdn $ 1.40 for Diesel and I do not even know if it is still LSD or already ULSD as had been promised a year ago.
 

Uberhare

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Ontario, Canada
TDI
Too many.
I'll just smile and drive my W8 again this winter and put off my TDI swap. :) Yesterday was the official opening of the "drifting" season.
 

petee_c

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Location
Heidelberg, Ontario, Canada
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15 Golf TDI, was 06 Jetta TDI, 15 q7 tdi, was 11 Q7 TDI
Price difference is even more now... Filled up at cdn tire in Waterloo..

$1.26 diesel
$0.99 87 octane....

Had the price difference been this bad? We've only had diesels for 6 yrs, but I don't remember it being that bad....

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
 

Peytron

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Joined
Sep 30, 2008
Location
Canada
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Jetta
Price difference is even more now... Filled up at cdn tire in Waterloo..

$1.26 diesel
$0.99 87 octane....

Had the price difference been this bad? We've only had diesels for 6 yrs, but I don't remember it being that bad....

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

First time I've seen it this bad. Lots of times I've seen the exact opposite though, so there's that.


I've seen some stations start to drop prices in the past week, down by 10c/l or so, which you don't usually see this time of year.
 

McGuillicuddy

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Canada
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2003 Jetta Wagon (5MT)
Is it a matter of diesel prices being high or just gas being abnormally low. I haven't seen prices below $1/L for gas in about a decade!
 

2.2TDI

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Is it a matter of diesel prices being high or just gas being abnormally low. I haven't seen prices below $1/L for gas in about a decade!
Gas was below a dollar last summer lol...

I just laugh when I see the price of diesel... Still miss the tdi sometimes but I don't miss being gouged for diesel in the winter, or having to freeze my ass for half an hour till the engine gets warm...
 

maxmoo

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Jan 19, 2011
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Lakefield, Ontario, Canada
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2000 golf, 2001 golf, 2000 beetle, 2003 wagon, 2004 golf, 2004 jetta, all diesels

amit9

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Oct 7, 2004
Location
Toronto/Scarborough
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None...
I've been filling up at at an independent - Kennedy Gas Bar, on Kennedy Road at Munham Gate (just south of Ellesmere Road) in Scarborough. It's about 1.5 kms south from the 401. It has the cheapest price for diesel nowadays. Last time I filled up (15-Dec) it was 107.9. It's a small crowded place and there are attendants controlling the flow of vehicles to keep them moving. A lot of tow trucks fill up diesel there, so there's some assurance of fresh diesel fuel.
 

imo000

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Joined
Dec 13, 2005
Location
Cambridge
TDI
2009 M-B ML320 Diesel & '05 Passat TDI Manual 5-Speed
I can't be bothered standing in line for 30 minutes or drive out of my way just to save $3 on tank. I just stop at the nearest gas station after the low light comes on and fill up.
 

Jetta_Pilot

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Apr 14, 2005
Location
West Hill, Ont.
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2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
Ultramar offers a 0.02 cent discount every Tuesday for Diesel and a 0.03 cent discount for gasoline every Thursday.
Ultramar is owned by Valero USA so it's not a fly by night operation.

As for going out of your way to fill up, most people have a pretty good idea about the stations around where they live. When travelling long distance you do not have much choice.
 
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johnnloki

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Joined
Jan 24, 2007
Location
bowmanville ON
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04 Golf TDI
The current 20% price delta in favor of Unleaded Gas over Diesel really shrinks the approximate 25% fuel economy advantage of diesel over gas.


I remember the early to mid 2000s, back before diesel got the price or tax bump up to near parity with RUG... It was around a 25% delta in diesel`s favor, and then you were also getting around a 70% fuel economy advantage on top of it. It was literally half the price per highway KM driven.
 

j_martell

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Aug 27, 2014
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Centre Wellington, Ontario
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Reflex Silver 2006 Jetta GLS TDI Wagon
i fuel the at the same place every 14 days, regardless of the price....

We pay more per litre, but get more KM per litre, so it works out.

It still makes me a little sad when I can fill my Grand Caravan for less than the Jetta....
 

HPsenicka

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Orangeville, Ontario
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2 x 2004 Jetta Sport BEW (Malone Stage 1.5), 2014 GSW TDI - Wolfsburg Edition, 2015 Passat TDI -Sport Trim
When I can achieve close to 5l/100km on the highway with a TDI, a comparable gas vehicle would have to be in the 7l/100km ballpark or better.


IMHO it is only the most recent crop of fuel efficient gas models that can come close to this without giving up too much performance.
 

2.2TDI

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When I can achieve close to 5l/100km on the highway with a TDI, a comparable gas vehicle would have to be in the 7l/100km ballpark or better.


IMHO it is only the most recent crop of fuel efficient gas models that can come close to this without giving up too much performance.

Here's my fuel costs for my old 2003 tdi (6 cents per km)

http://www.fuelly.com/car/volkswagen/golf/2003/a332/271509

then here's my fuel cost for old 2005 civic (7 cents per km)

http://www.fuelly.com/car/honda/civic/2005/a332/425999

1 cent per km isn't a whole lot for two cars that are somewhat similar in terms of engine size and power (civic more hp, tdi more torque... each has it's own benefits as we all know)
 

McGuillicuddy

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Canada
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2003 Jetta Wagon (5MT)

Jetta_Pilot

Top Post Dawg
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Apr 14, 2005
Location
West Hill, Ont.
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2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
You know until you are in another country where people working hard from 8am to sundown 5 1/2 days a week and maybe taking home tops $ 30.00 a day, then paying approximately $ 1.15 a litre for gas you might change your perspective as to how bad off YOU are.

I see some young guy pull up to the pump with his 75cc or 95cc tiny motorbike and asking for the equivalent of $ 3.00 worth of gasoline because that's all he can afford right now.

Almost makes me feel guilty because I fill up to 14 litres on my bike every time.

Makes you think !!!
 

FrankenAudi

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Dec 11, 2018
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Durham,Ont.
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01 Audi Quattro Allroad 6Mt.
I can fill diesel for cheaper at the 2 native reserves i service ,today was $101.9 for diesel gas was 92.9,, i usually bring an 5 gallon gas can for extra fuel.
 

BrettS

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Nov 16, 2010
Location
Mississauga
TDI
2014 Golf Wagon
Same here. Filled up at a Shell station on the Oakville/Mississauga border today for $104.9. Lowest I've seen for quite some time.
 

McGuillicuddy

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Apr 23, 2013
Location
Canada
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2003 Jetta Wagon (5MT)
Yes it's come down since I made the OP. Although there is still a significant difference between regular unleaded and diesel with the former selling at about 95 cents per litre at some stations in my area.
 
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