Every litre at the pump is crude oil, plus the refining margin, plus distribution and marketing, plus tax. Crude is usually the biggest single piece. Taxes are the most predictable piece, because they are set by law rather than by the market.
A short horizon pump forecast works because retail lags wholesale by roughly one to two weeks. We fit an error correction model: how fast does the pump close the gap to where wholesale says it should be, and how much of this week and last week's wholesale move passes through.
Pumps tend to rise faster than they fall, the so called rockets and feathers effect. We fit a separate pass through for wholesale increases and decreases to measure it.
We map a change in the Brent crude price through the fitted crude to wholesale to retail chain. This is a what if, not a crude forecast, since no one can reliably predict oil.
The pump line trails the wholesale line. That gap, and how quickly it closes, is the whole basis of the short term forecast.
The verdict is a nowcast of the input stack, not a price forecast. Today's pump reflects the wholesale cost of about two days ago, and we can see today's wholesale now, so most of the next day or two of pump movement is already set, just not posted at the sign yet. We start from the last surveyed pump price for your city, then roll it forward by the move in its real inputs over the roughly two days the pump trails them: crude oil priced off the benchmark your region actually tracks (West Texas Intermediate for the West and centre, Brent for the import fed East Coast and eastern Canada), the refining margin (the rack move net of crude, which is the crack spread and rises when refineries are tight, in maintenance, or switching to summer blend), and the Canadian dollar for cities that pay in it. Each input is scaled by how much of a wholesale move actually reaches the pump, then amplified by the sales tax that rides on top of a moving base; the fixed per litre taxes are added as constants and do not move. The bars under the verdict show each contribution. Crude prints clean and flows through raw, while the refining margin is taken as a short median, so a single noisy day, such as a month end futures roll, cannot swing the call. Their sum is the catch up the pump still owes. The forward bar then adds where the trend is heading: the recent slope of the rack blended at full weight with your region's spot (West Coast for BC and Seattle, New York Harbor for the East, even though that spot lags a few days), plus an expected catch up when gasoline is unusually cheap or rich relative to crude, since the crack tends to revert, plus a modest upside risk when current North American refinery news points to a disruption. Crude, the rack and the news are today's real time signals; the pump trails them by about two days, so the call is for the next day or two starting today. Because rising costs pass through to the pump fast and nearly in full while falling costs arrive slowly as stations hold the margin, a fill signal is firmer than a wait signal, and we discount the saving on the way down. International refinery news is left as context only, since global crude already prices it in. For your real site, drop the fuel.json your PHP cron writes beside this page and it loads automatically, the same code running on live numbers.
Overview. This Privacy Policy explains how LiveGasPrices.com (the site, we, us), operated by West Coast Media Solutions Inc., handles information when you visit. The site is built to work with as little personal information as possible, and you can view prices, forecasts, and the fill up verdict without creating an account or giving us your details.
Information you provide. The site does not require registration. If you choose to reach us using the Contact link in the footer, we receive the email address you write from and whatever you include in your message, and we use that only to respond to you.
Information collected automatically. As with most websites, our hosting infrastructure may record standard technical details such as IP address, browser and device type, the page that referred you, and timestamps. We use these logs to operate the site, keep it secure, diagnose problems, and understand usage in aggregate.
Local storage on your device. To remember your selected city and display preferences between visits, the site saves a small value in your browser's local storage, on your own device. This is not an account, it stays on your device, and it is not sent to us as personal information. You can clear it at any time through your browser settings.
Cookies and similar technologies. The core experience relies on essential local storage rather than tracking cookies. Where any analytics or third party measurement is used, it is described in our Cookie Policy, and you can decline non essential technologies without losing core functionality.
Analytics. We may use privacy respecting, aggregate analytics to learn which pages and cities are most useful and to improve the site. Aggregate analytics are intended to be non identifying and are not used to build a profile of you as an individual.
Advertising. If display advertising appears on the site, advertising partners may use cookies or similar technologies to measure and serve ads. Any such use is summarized in the Cookie Policy, and the choices described there apply. We do not sell your personal information.
How we use information. We use the limited information available to operate and secure the site, respond to messages you send, measure aggregate usage, meet legal obligations, and improve our content and accuracy over time.
Sharing. We do not sell personal data. We may share limited information with service providers who host the site or provide analytics or security for us, under confidentiality, and we may disclose information where the law requires it or to protect the site, our users, or our rights.
Market data sources. The prices, wholesale estimates, tax components, and forecasts shown on the site are derived from public and commercial data, including the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Statistics Canada, Natural Resources Canada, and provincial open data. These sources concern fuel markets, not you, and are processed to produce the estimates you see.
Retention and security. We keep technical logs only as long as needed for the purposes above and apply reasonable safeguards suited to a low data informational site. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Your choices and rights. Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, or delete personal information we hold, or to object to certain processing. Because we hold very little personal information, these requests are usually limited in scope. To make a request, use the Contact link in the footer or write to our contact address.
Children. The site is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Changes. We may update this Privacy Policy as the site or applicable law changes. The version posted here is always the current one, and continued use of the site indicates acceptance of it.
Overview. This Cookie Policy explains how LiveGasPrices.com uses cookies, local storage, and similar technologies, and the choices you have. It should be read together with our Privacy Policy.
What these technologies are. Cookies are small text files a website places on your device. Local storage is a related browser feature that lets a site save small amounts of data on your device. Both let a site remember information between page loads or visits.
Our general approach. The site is designed to work using essential storage only. We do not require advertising or tracking cookies for the core experience of viewing prices, forecasts, and the fill up verdict.
Essential storage. We save a small value in your browser's local storage to remember your selected city and display preferences. This is needed to provide the feature you asked for, and without it the site would forget your city each time a page loads.
Analytics technologies. If aggregate analytics are enabled, they may set a cookie or read a stored value to count page views and understand usage patterns. These are intended to be non identifying and are used to improve the site, not to follow you across other websites.
Advertising technologies. If display advertising is shown, advertising partners may set cookies or use similar technologies to measure impressions, limit how often an ad appears, and report on performance. Where this applies, the partners involved and their roles are summarized for you.
Third party technologies. Some features or measurement may be provided by third parties, who may set their own cookies under their own policies. We do not control third party cookies and encourage you to review the relevant third party's policy.
Consent and legal basis. Essential storage is used because it is necessary to deliver the feature you requested. Non essential technologies such as analytics or advertising are used only where permitted, and where consent is required you can decline them without losing core functionality.
Managing choices in your browser. You can view, block, or delete cookies and clear local storage through your browser settings, and most browsers also offer a private or incognito mode. Blocking essential storage may cause the site to forget your city preference.
Effect of declining. Declining non essential technologies does not stop you from using the core site. Declining or clearing essential storage simply means your preferences are not remembered between visits.
Browser privacy signals. Signals such as Do Not Track are not standardized across the web. Where we are able to recognize an applicable opt out signal, we aim to honor it for non essential technologies.
Updates. We may update this Cookie Policy as our use of these technologies or applicable law changes, and the version posted here is the current one.
Contact. For questions about this Cookie Policy or to exercise a choice, use the Contact link in the footer or write to our contact address.
Overview. These Legal Terms set out important legal information about LiveGasPrices.com, operated by West Coast Media Solutions Inc. They apply to your use of the site and should be read together with our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Informational purpose only. All content on the site, including prices, wholesale and rack estimates, tax components, forecasts, and the fill up verdict, is provided for general informational and reference purposes only. It is not professional, financial, investment, or tax advice.
No warranty. The site and its content are provided as is and as available, without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including any implied warranties of accuracy, completeness, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non infringement, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
Accuracy and modeling. Prices and forecasts can be delayed, incomplete, or wrong. Sub metro and city figures are modeled estimates derived from surrounding survey data plus local adjustments, and are not surveyed at every individual station. Actual prices at a given station may differ materially from what is shown.
Forecasts are not guarantees. The fill up verdict and any forward looking indicators are statistical estimates based on historical relationships between wholesale inputs and retail prices. They are not predictions of certain outcomes and should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
No reliance. You should independently verify current prices and any tax or regulatory figures that apply to your jurisdiction before acting. We are not responsible for decisions you make based on the site.
Limitation of liability. To the fullest extent permitted by law, West Coast Media Solutions Inc. and its operators will not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or exemplary damages, or for any loss of profits, savings, or data, arising out of or related to your use of or inability to use the site, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
Maximum liability. Where liability cannot be excluded but may be limited, our total liability arising out of or related to the site is limited to the amount you paid to access it, which for most users is zero.
Third party content and links. The site relies on third party data sources and may link to third party websites or display third party advertising. We do not control and are not responsible for third party content, data, or websites, and a link or reference is not an endorsement.
Intellectual property. The design, layout, original text, and arrangement of the site are owned by West Coast Media Solutions Inc. or its licensors and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws. Underlying market data remains subject to the rights of its respective sources. You may view and reference the content for personal, non commercial use.
Indemnity. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless West Coast Media Solutions Inc. and its operators from claims arising out of your misuse of the site or your violation of these Legal Terms or applicable law.
Governing law. These Legal Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of British Columbia and the applicable laws of Canada, without regard to conflict of laws principles. You agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in British Columbia for any dispute not otherwise subject to agreement.
Severability and changes. If any provision of these Legal Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in effect. We may update these Legal Terms at any time, and the version posted here is the current one.
Our commitment. We want LiveGasPrices.com to be usable by as many people as possible, including people who rely on assistive technologies. Accessibility is an ongoing effort, and we work to improve the site over time.
Standards we aim for. We aim to align with recognized accessibility guidelines, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines at the AA level, as a practical target for contrast, readable text, keyboard operation, and clear structure.
Readable text and contrast. We use readable font sizes and aim for sufficient contrast between text and background, so prices, labels, and the fill up verdict are legible, and the layout is designed to stay readable when text is resized in the browser.
Keyboard navigation. Interactive elements such as the city selector, links, and these legal overlays are intended to be reachable and operable with a keyboard, and overlays can be closed with the Escape key as well as the close control.
Structure and labels. We use headings, landmarks, and descriptive labels so the page can be understood by screen readers and other assistive technologies, and so the order of content is logical.
Color is not the only signal. Where we use color to show whether a price is rising or falling, we aim to pair it with text or direction, so the meaning does not depend on color perception alone.
Motion and distraction. We avoid unnecessary motion and aim to keep the interface calm and focused, so content is easy to read and does not distract or cause discomfort.
Third party and embedded content. Some content, data, or advertising may come from third parties whose accessibility we do not fully control. We aim to choose and configure such content responsibly, but we cannot guarantee the accessibility of every third party element.
Known limitations. As a small and frequently updated site, some areas may not yet fully meet our accessibility goals. We treat reported barriers as a priority and work to resolve them.
Browsers and assistive technology. We test against common, current browsers and aim to support widely used assistive technologies. Using an up to date browser and assistive technology generally gives the best experience.
Feedback and assistance. If you encounter a barrier, or need information in a different format, please tell us using the Contact link in the footer or by writing to our contact address, and describe the page and the difficulty so we can help and improve.
Ongoing improvement. We review accessibility as we add features and update content, and we welcome feedback that helps us make the site work better for everyone.
Acceptance. By accessing or using LiveGasPrices.com, operated by West Coast Media Solutions Inc., you agree to these Terms of Use. If you do not agree, please do not use the site. These Terms should be read together with our Legal Terms and Privacy Policy.
Who may use the site. The site is intended for a general audience seeking fuel price information. You may use it if you can form a binding agreement under the laws of your jurisdiction, and you are responsible for complying with the laws that apply to you.
Permitted use. You may use the site for personal, non commercial reference. You may view prices, forecasts, and the fill up verdict and may reference the information for your own decisions, subject to these Terms.
Prohibited use. You agree not to misuse the site, including by attempting to disrupt or overload it, scraping or harvesting data at scale without permission, circumventing security or access controls, introducing malicious code, or using the site unlawfully or to infringe the rights of others.
Informational nature. The content is provided for general information only and is not financial, investment, or tax advice. Prices and forecasts are estimates that can be delayed or inaccurate, and city figures are modeled rather than surveyed at every station, as described in our Legal Terms.
No professional relationship. Using the site does not create any advisory, fiduciary, or professional relationship between you and us, and you remain solely responsible for your decisions.
Availability and changes. We may change, suspend, or discontinue any part of the site, including content, features, data sources, or methodology, at any time and without notice. We do not guarantee that the site will always be available, uninterrupted, or error free.
Third party content and advertising. The site relies on third party data and may show third party links or advertising. We are not responsible for third party content, and your dealings with any third party are solely between you and that party.
Intellectual property. Except for underlying market data owned by its sources, the site's design, original text, and arrangement are owned by West Coast Media Solutions Inc. or its licensors. You may not copy, redistribute, or create derivative works from the site for commercial purposes without permission.
Disclaimers and limitation of liability. The site is provided as is without warranties, and our liability is limited as set out in our Legal Terms. Those disclaimers and limitations are incorporated into these Terms of Use by reference.
Indemnity. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless West Coast Media Solutions Inc. and its operators from any claim arising out of your use of the site or your breach of these Terms.
Governing law and disputes. These Terms of Use are governed by the laws of the Province of British Columbia and the applicable laws of Canada. Any dispute will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in British Columbia, unless otherwise required by applicable law.
Entire terms and updates. These Terms of Use, together with the Legal Terms and Privacy Policy, are the entire agreement regarding your use of the site. We may update them at any time, and continued use after changes indicates acceptance of the current version. For questions, use the Contact link in the footer or write to our contact address.
Reach drivers at the moment they decide to fill up. LiveGasPrices is a daily destination for people across Canada and the United States who want one clear answer before they spend at the pump: fill up today, or wait. That puts your brand in front of a high intent, returning audience exactly when fuel, mobility and money are already top of mind.
An engaged, repeat audience. Our visitors do not bounce. They compare cities, open the seven day projection, and read the breakdown of where each litre of their pump price comes from, which is why sessions run long and pages per session stay high. Many return several times a week as prices move, so a campaign here earns repeat exposure to the same motivated households rather than a single fleeting view.
Standard, brand safe formats. Inventory is offered in three familiar IAB sizes, so your existing creative drops straight in: the 970 x 90 billboard in the prime position at the top of the page, the 728 x 90 leaderboard within the body of the content, and the 300 x 250 medium rectangle inside the analysis. Every placement is clearly bounded, viewable, and never disguised as editorial, which protects both your brand and our readers' trust.
The right editorial context. Every figure on the site is modeled from public data and explained in plain terms, with the forecast methodology shown openly rather than hidden. That transparent, numbers first tone is a natural fit for advertisers in automotive, fuel and convenience retail, insurance, fleet and logistics, financial services, and travel, where being seen beside credible information matters as much as the impression itself.
Targeting and flexibility. Because visitors choose a country, a province or state, and a city, your message can reach the audience nationally or be narrowed to specific regional markets, and demand follows the calendar, rising through the spring and summer driving season. We can run a fixed placement sponsorship that keeps your brand in one slot, or a standard rotation, whichever suits the campaign.
Getting started. We accept static or lightweight animated banners in the usual file sizes, and a campaign can usually go live quickly once the creative and the flight dates are confirmed. Tell us the markets you want, the formats you have, and your dates, and we will send availability and rates.
Contact the advertising teamYou can also reach us through the Contact link in the footer. LiveGasPrices is operated by West Coast Media Solutions Inc.