HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, June 30, 2026, 15:08 (ADT)
- Nova Scotia set its new maximums for regular self-serve gas at 168.9 to 173.8 cents a litre and diesel between 185.4 and 190.3, based on the zone.
- Gasoline was up roughly 3.6 cents this week, while diesel stayed flat, according to local fuel bulletins.
- Board tables indicate the gasoline increase was driven by both a higher benchmark and scrapping the forward-averaging credit. For diesel, the benchmark rise was matched by a correction, so no real change.
- Nova Scotia’s diesel fuel surcharge for truckers dropped to 36% on June 19, down from 44% on June 5. Even so, regulated diesel remains 16.5 cents more expensive than regular gasoline across all price zones.
Nova Scotia’s new fuel price file gives investors a clearer read than pump signs. Gas prices went up after the regulator removed a previous negative adjustment. Diesel didn’t move, but it’s still priced 16.5 cents a litre above regular gas everywhere in the province.
Local media called it a typical retail shift. Your Quad Counties said June 25 gasoline prices would go up 3.6 cents, with diesel staying flat. A day later, 989 XFM said the Nova Scotia Energy Board raised gasoline by 3.6 cents a litre and kept diesel where it was.
The board’s numbers lay out the hidden part. Table A in both the June 19 and June 26 orders breaks down the split. The “net” line below is benchmark plus forward averaging.
| Board item, cents/litre | June 19 | June 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular gasoline benchmark | 102.80 | 104.38 | +1.58 |
| Regular gasoline forward averaging | -1.60 | 0.00 | +1.60 |
| Regular gasoline net | 101.20 | 104.38 | +3.18 |
| Ultra-low-sulfur diesel benchmark | 118.01 | 117.84 | -0.17 |
| Ultra-low-sulfur diesel forward averaging | -1.20 | -1.03 | +0.17 |
| Ultra-low-sulfur diesel net | 116.81 | 116.81 | 0.00 |
The board said it could apply forward averaging from past prices to try to keep revenue neutral. Here, that move actually mattered—it boosted the gasoline wholesale driver roughly as much as switching the benchmark did. For diesel, the two factors offset each other.
The pump comparison follows the same pattern with Zone 1 and the more expensive Zone 6.
| Self-service pump price, cents/litre | June 19 Zone 1 | June 26 Zone 1 | June 26 Zone 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular gasoline, min-max | 165.3-168.2 | 168.9-171.9 | 170.8-173.8 |
| Ultra-low-sulfur diesel, min-max | 185.4-188.4 | 185.4-188.4 | 187.3-190.3 |
| Diesel premium over regular | 20.1-20.2 | 16.5 | 16.5 |
Fuel sellers like Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc (TSE:ATD) see the cap keeping pump prices steady, sometimes even if wholesale costs rise. The company uses ATD on the TSX. For TFI International Inc (TSE:TFII), diesel costs hit transport expenses. TFI trades as TFII on both the NYSE and TSX, and runs transport and logistics in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Freight signals are choppy. Nova Scotia’s trucking diesel surcharge was cut to 36% on June 19, down from 44% earlier this month, but regulated diesel prices aren’t sliding in step with gas. The diesel price cap in Zone 1 was unchanged at 185.4-188.4 cents for June 26, matching last week’s level.
Policy costs are still reflected in the spread. The order from June 26 held the Clean Fuel Regulations adjustment at 9.04 cents per litre for gasoline and 10.07 cents for diesel. The credit-card fee retail mark-up stayed put too, at 0.7 cent for gasoline and 0.8 cent for diesel.
Oil hasn’t sent a clear signal on price. Brent was at $73.02 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate at $69.86 at 12:34 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Reuters said. Giovanni Staunovo, analyst at UBS Group AG SWX:UBSG, said “previously stranded ships have become available” as Gulf shipping picked up. Reuters
Reuters said a poll of 31 economists and analysts lowered the 2026 Brent crude forecast to $84.50 a barrel, down from $90.44. UniCredit SpA BIT:UCG analyst Tobias Keller said “the bulk of the geopolitical risk premium has already unwound.” Frank Schallenberger at LBBW expects prices to keep dropping in the second half if traffic through the Strait of Hormuz goes back to normal. Reuters
Refined products in the U.S. remain firm, with downstream margins still supported. The Energy Information Administration showed RBOB gasoline at New York Harbor at $3.05 a gallon as of June 29, low-sulfur diesel at $3.32, and the Gulf Coast 3:2:1 crack spread up 4.8% at $58.33 a barrel.
The board’s records list two diesel interrupter orders this month, with one on June 16 and another on June 17, ahead of the June 19 and June 26 weekly settings.
