Gas prices expected to drop 20 cents on April 1 across Canada

The cost to fill up your gas tank should be a little cheaper on April 1.

As of midnight, the federal consumer carbon tax will end, which means prices are expected to fall at the pump as much as 20 cents per litre across the country.

In the Greater Toronto Area, this means the average price as of March 31 of $1.57 is expected to drop to $1.37.

When Mark Carney became prime minister, one of his first moves was to axe the tax, even though it was a central policy of Justin Trudeau, his Liberal predecessor.

The tax was put in place originally to encourage reduced emissions and cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels such as gasoline.

Despite the motivation, the tax proved unpopular to consumers who didn’t want to pay the higher fuel costs. Opposition parties have promised to remove the tax permanently if they come to power following the federal election. Carney beat them to the punch, however, even though some say a form of fuel tax will return if the Liberals regain power.

Late Monday night, motorists were staying away from gas stations, waiting until the clock struck “12” before filling up.

“Let’s hope we get to keep this savings,” said one motorist on X who was cautiously optimistic about the savings. “Hopefully, these gas stations won’t jack up the prices in advance so that they can earn some extra profit. I have my fingers crossed.”