If petrol becomes cheaper, less attention will be paid to the consumption of the coveted SUV. When the price per liter explodes, the choice of a more economical car or an electric vehicle suddenly makes sense to us.
When this evidence strikes, it presents itself as a collective phenomenon. Many are now lining up to get their hands on a more fuel-efficient vehicle, and when there are supply issues, the wait is now counted in dozens of months.
habit changes
In the meantime, what can be done to mitigate rising gas prices?
Of course, you can reduce the use of your vehicle and incorporate the principles of eco-driving into your habits (drive more slowly, avoid sudden acceleration and deceleration).
One can also make the most of the friendliest credit and debit cards for motorists.
Can we still afford to ignore these gifts?
The CAA card
First, let’s talk about the benefits offered to CAA Quebec members. I recently became aware of the news that CAA has reached an agreement with Shell that saves members $0.03 per liter at partner stations.
Unfortunately, CAA-Quebec is not one of them after verification. Our club is already affiliated with Couche-Tard, which has more service points in Quebec than Shell.
However, the promotion is less interesting. The motorist is entitled to $0.01 per liter for the first 35 liters during the same tank filling, $0.02 for the part between 35 and 55 liters and $0.03 for the following quantities (produced there, you need a large tank , almost empty). The discount is not applied at the pump, it is applied to the customer file and in “CAA dollars”. The collected “money” can be spent in the CAA boutique or at partners (gift cards are sometimes offered at a discount as part of a promotion). “CAA Dollars” can be used to pay for membership.
And we can combine these benefits with those of credit cards.
credit card discounts
When the price of gas becomes your top financial concern, you might want to consider a credit card that offers the best discounts at the pump. The CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite card offers 4%, which is a savings of $0.08 per liter when it hits $2.00. The BMO CashBack World Elite Mastercard pays back 3% when filling up.
The BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite card offers 5 points per dollar on gas purchases. According to the specialized site Milesopedia, this corresponds to a discount of 3.35%.
Benefit from agreements
Like CAA, card issuers (credit and loyalty cards) partner with certain major oil brands. In connection with the “Journie” program, the CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite card (the one mentioned above) at Ultramar offers a rebate of $0.03 per liter in addition to the 4% rebate.
RBC credit cards save $0.03 on every liter of gas purchased from Petro-Canada (in addition to accelerating “reward points” on select bank cards).
prepaid fuel cards
The tip comes from the Milesopedia website. For those who have a card whose main benefit is grocery shopping (again, that’s expensive), gas station gift cards can be found on some major grocery banners. For example, the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite card offers 4% refunds on grocery bills and 2% at the pump. This card makes buying a prepaid petrol card in the supermarket more profitable.
While you’re waiting to get your hands on an electric car, juggling the various promotional schemes will never make you look cheap.
The average price of gasoline
- Gatineau: $2.06/L
- Montreal: $2.04/L
- Quebec: $2.11/L
- Saguenay: $2.01/L
- Sherbrooke: $2.08/L
