Atlantic Canadian drivers are seeing a rare bit of year-end relief at the pump heading into the busiest stretch of holiday travel.
In New Brunswick, the Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) published updated maximum allowable prices effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, pushing the maximum total price for regular self-serve gasoline to 137.1 cents per litre. [1]
Across the border, Nova Scotia’s latest weekly adjustment—effective Friday—brought regular self-serve down to 131.5 cents per litre and diesel to 162.7 cents. [2]
And in the background, New Brunswick’s fuel-pricing debate is still being shaped by two policy-driven stories: the province’s fight over the carbon adjuster and a newly surfaced “benchmark” issue that has officials preparing a shift to E10 pricing—a change the province says could knock up to seven cents a litre off regular gas in the next scheduled update. [3]
New Brunswick: Updated maximum prices take effect Saturday
New Brunswick’s EUB price schedule for Dec. 13, 2025 lists maximum allowable totals (including HST) that retailers can charge. Key figures include: [4]
- Regular gasoline (self-serve):137.1 cents/L maximum total price
- Regular gasoline (full-serve):140.6 cents/L maximum total price
- Mid-grade (self-serve):147.8 cents/L maximum total price
- Premium (self-serve):158.5 cents/L maximum total price
- Ultra-low sulphur diesel (self-serve):178.0 cents/L maximum total price
The schedule also spells out the building blocks behind those totals—including benchmark prices, wholesale and retail margins, and delivery cost caps—and notes that maximum wholesale prices include both provincial and federal excise taxes. [5]
How this compares to Friday’s weekly move
Just a day earlier, New Brunswick’s weekly adjustment had already delivered a drop. An Acadia Broadcasting report on Friday morning said the maximum cost for regular self-serve fell 4.2 cents to about $1.45/L, with diesel dipping to around $1.78/L and furnace oil near $1.70/L. [6]
With Saturday’s schedule listing 137.1 cents/L for regular self-serve, the weekend update tightens the gap between New Brunswick and neighbouring provinces—especially for drivers comparing prices ahead of cross-border holiday trips. [7]
The E10 benchmark story: why a gasoline “blend” can change the posted price
While day-to-day gasoline prices can swing with wholesale markets, New Brunswick’s next potential drop is being framed as something different: a formula fix.
What is E10—and why does it matter?
E10 is a standard gasoline blend that contains up to 10% ethanol, commonly used across North America. In New Brunswick, the government says upcoming regulatory changes will mean E10 will be used to determine the benchmark price for regular gasoline, rather than relying on conventional gasoline pricing. [8]
According to the Friday report from Acadia Broadcasting, the shift to E10 benchmarking is expected to save motorists up to seven cents per litre next week, depending on market conditions. [9]
Where the “pricing mistake” claim comes in
The political hook to the E10 change is an unusual one: reporting tied to the premier’s office.
A post linking to the CTV News Atlantic story states that staff reviewing the province’s fuel-pricing rules found New Brunswick had been calculating maximum fuel prices using conventional gasoline instead of a cheaper blend, prompting a move toward the E10 benchmark. [10]
Separately, the Acadia Broadcasting piece notes the government is presenting the E10 shift as another affordability step, describing it as one more measure meant to deliver savings for families. [11]
The practical impact—if the E10 benchmark is adopted on schedule—would be straightforward: if the reference fuel used in the formula is consistently cheaper, the regulated benchmark used to set pump ceilings can fall as well. [12]
Carbon adjuster fallout: why an earlier promised cut didn’t immediately show up at the pump
New Brunswick’s fuel-price politics have been simmering for weeks because of the carbon adjuster—a provincial pricing component tied to the cost of complying with federal clean fuel rules.
What happened on Dec. 1
A Canadian Press report published by Global News said gas price cuts expected to take effect on Dec. 1 were cancelled by the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board. [13]
The same report explains that Dec. 1 marked the first day without the New Brunswick carbon adjuster, but drivers didn’t see an immediate price drop because the board shifted the cost elsewhere in the price-setting formula on an interim basis while it conducts a more detailed review. [14]
Global News also describes the carbon adjuster as a mechanism introduced in 2022 that passes the cost of federal clean fuel regulations for refiners and retailers onto consumers, and reports that the board’s decision said eliminating it as planned would be harmful to petroleum wholesalers and retailers. [15]
The review isn’t over
The EUB has indicated the carbon-adjuster issue remains under active review. An EUB order related to Matter PT-005-2025 notes the board will conduct a public hearing and has retained a consultant to prepare findings in early 2026, while it considers its jurisdiction and authority after the repeal of carbon-adjuster provisions took effect on Dec. 1, 2025. [16]
The upshot for drivers: even as the market pushes prices down in the short term, the longer-running policy fight is still influencing how New Brunswick’s regulated components are structured—especially as the province tries to deliver on affordability messaging without destabilizing fuel supply. [17]
Nova Scotia: Fuel prices fall with the latest weekly adjustment
Nova Scotia drivers woke up Friday to noticeably lower prices.
CityNews Halifax reported that the Nova Scotia Energy Board lowered the price of regular self-serve to 131.5 cents/L (down 4.5 cents) and reduced diesel to 162.7 cents/L (down 3.4 cents). [18]
The Nova Scotia Energy Board’s pricing page shows how these regulated prices vary by zone. For Zone 1 (Halifax area), the board lists: [19]
- Regular self-serve: 131.5 (min) to 133.8 (max) cents/L
- Ultra-low sulfur diesel self-serve: 162.7 (min) to 165.0 (max) cents/L
CityNews also pointed to the year-over-year contrast, reporting that a year earlier Nova Scotians were paying 153.3 cents/L for gas and 171.2 cents/L for diesel. [20]
How today’s Atlantic prices compare with the national average
One reason Atlantic gas price stories travel fast on Google Discover is that shoppers can immediately compare regulated provincial prices to national benchmarks.
CAA’s national gas price tool lists Canada’s daily national average at 124.4 cents/L as of 4:00 a.m. on Dec. 13, 2025, down from 132.9 cents/L a month ago. [21]
That puts the latest regulated levels in New Brunswick (regular self-serve max 137.1) and Nova Scotia (regular self-serve about 131.5 in Zone 1) above the national average—though the gap has narrowed significantly compared with earlier in the month. [22]
CAA also notes that pump prices can shift with factors such as crude/refined market moves, exchange rates, seasonal demand, and taxes—context that helps explain why sudden weekend moves can still happen even in regulated provinces. [23]
What happens next: the next pricing update could bring another New Brunswick drop
For New Brunswick motorists, the next headline may not come from global oil markets—but from the province’s own benchmark rulebook.
- The government-backed move to base the regular gasoline benchmark on E10 pricing is expected to be implemented in the next scheduled adjustment window and could deliver up to seven cents/L in additional savings, depending on market conditions. [24]
- At the same time, the carbon adjuster dispute remains active, with the EUB continuing to examine how clean-fuel compliance costs should (or shouldn’t) appear inside regulated pump prices. [25]
For drivers, the short-term takeaway is simple: prices are moving down right now, and policy decisions in Fredericton could push them lower still—just as holiday travel ramps up across the Maritimes. [26]
References
1. nbeub.ca, 2. halifax.citynews.ca, 3. yoursaintjohn.ca, 4. nbeub.ca, 5. nbeub.ca, 6. yoursaintjohn.ca, 7. nbeub.ca, 8. yoursaintjohn.ca, 9. yoursaintjohn.ca, 10. lemmy.ca, 11. yoursaintjohn.ca, 12. yoursaintjohn.ca, 13. globalnews.ca, 14. globalnews.ca, 15. globalnews.ca, 16. nbeub.ca, 17. globalnews.ca, 18. halifax.citynews.ca, 19. nserbt.ca, 20. halifax.citynews.ca, 21. www.caa.ca, 22. nbeub.ca, 23. www.caa.ca, 24. yoursaintjohn.ca, 25. globalnews.ca, 26. nbeub.ca
