HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Jan 16, 2026, 19:14 AST
- Halifax regular gas jumped 4.9 cents, reaching 132.4 cents per litre; diesel increased 5.7 cents to 160.1.
- New Brunswick capped regular self-serve prices at 136.7 cents and diesel at 172.4. Prince Edward Island set minimums at 143.3 cents for regular and 172.3 for diesel.
- Provincial regulators adjusted fuel bands overnight, placing Cape Breton and other costly zones at the higher end of Nova Scotia’s scale.
Gasoline and diesel prices climbed Friday in Canada’s Maritime provinces, pushing up pump costs in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island following an overnight adjustment by regulators.
In Halifax, the price of regular self-serve gasoline jumped 4.9 cents at midnight, hitting 132.4 cents per litre. Diesel saw an even bigger rise, up 5.7 cents to 160.1 cents per litre.
The spike is crucial now since the region’s weekly pricing system quickly feeds changes through, affecting commuters and small businesses almost right away. In Nova Scotia, prices had stayed steady a week before, with regular gas holding at 127.5 cents per litre and diesel slipping a bit.
The move wasn’t limited to a single market. Regulators across all three Maritime provinces imposed fuel bands or caps, and Friday’s adjustments nudged multiple benchmarks upward ahead of the weekend.
Nova Scotia’s Energy Board lists minimum and maximum fuel prices by zone, placing Halifax in Zone 1. On Friday, regular self-serve gas in Zone 1 ranged from 132.4 to 134.6 cents per litre. Ultra-low sulfur diesel, the typical on-road diesel fuel, was priced between 160.1 and 162.3 cents.
Cape Breton ranked near the top of provincial gas price ranges. A recent regional update showed regular self-serve prices between $1.343 and $1.366 per litre across much of the island, with diesel ranging from $1.620 to $1.643. SaltWire’s coverage of Cape Breton has noted relatively stable pump prices in weekly reports leading up to this latest adjustment.
New Brunswick’s Energy and Utilities Board set the maximum price for regular self-serve gasoline at 136.7 cents per litre, with full-serve capped at 140.2 cents. The board pegged ultra-low sulfur diesel at 172.4 cents for self-serve and listed furnace oil at 164.9 cents.
A board pricing schedule revealed that New Brunswick’s maximums factor in the 15% harmonized sales tax (HST), plus excise taxes and fixed margins. Regular gasoline carries a provincial tax of 10.87 cents per litre and a federal excise tax of 10 cents. Ultra-low sulfur diesel is taxed provincially at 15.45 cents, with a federal excise tax of 4 cents.
Prince Edward Island’s Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission bumped the minimum price for regular self-serve gasoline by 3.5 cents to 143.3 cents per litre, setting a maximum at 144.4. Diesel prices jumped 5.5 cents, landing at 172.3 cents per litre, while furnace oil climbed to 124.1 cents.
The price difference between provinces is clear-cut. PEI’s regular gasoline floor is roughly 11 cents more than Halifax’s minimum. Diesel on PEI runs about 12 cents above Nova Scotia’s Zone 1 rate, according to Friday’s posted prices.
Stations can sell below the posted maximums under these pricing systems, but the official settings still steer the market and can change rapidly with wholesale cost fluctuations. In New Brunswick and PEI, posted prices factor in varying tax and margin elements, while Nova Scotia includes transport costs that differ by zone.
But the increase isn’t one-sided. Nova Scotia’s regulations feature an “interrupter” tool that can reset prices off the usual weekly timetable whenever markets take a sharp turn, injecting extra unpredictability for drivers and heating-oil customers. Nova Scotia Energy Board
Despite Friday’s uptick, Halifax fuel prices are still far below figures reported last year, when regular gas hovered near $1.63 per litre and diesel approached $1.93.
CTV News Atlantic reported a region-wide surge in pump prices as the new weekly settings kicked in across the Maritimes.
