Canadian propane costs soar due to supply chain issues
There are 1.5 million households in Canada that rely on propane for heating.
Now those homeowners will have to pay a lot more to stay warm this winter following a price hike in propane costs.
A couple from Ennismore, Ont., north of Peterborough, has to get their propane tank filled about four times a year and they recently got their new propane fixed billing contract.
The price last year was 67 cents per litre for propane. The new price is 86 cents -- about 28 per cent higher.
The increase means they’ll end up spending $300 a month on propane, almost double the $176 they are used to paying.
“As seniors and someone with a disability, we feel we can't handle that type of increase," Warren Bussey told CTV News Toronto.
RELATED: Tips for saving on your heating bill as gas prices spike
The couple says with inflation, increasing food prices, gas and other items, they're having a hard enough time paying their bills as it is.
“It's pushing us over the edge. I can't sleep at night. I worry about what's going to happen to us," Jacki Cumming said.
In a statement to CTV News Toronto, Teresa Crosato, senior manager of marketing communications with Superior Propane, (which services the home) said the price increase is the “reality” across the energy sector.
"Increased demand is outpacing supply which in turn is raising energy prices around the world.” Crosato said. "Price increases are impacting not just propane but also furnace oil, gasoline and diesel. Increased demand is outpacing supply which in turn is raising energy prices around the world.”
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Shannon Watt with the Canadian Propane Association said it’s hearing from concerned homeowners about the price hike and is calling on provincial governments to bring in rebate programs to help propane users get through the winter.
“Propane is not immune to inflationary pressures that we are seeing elsewhere. I would recommend that consumers who are concerned about this winter heating season to be reaching out to their politicians."
Bussey and Cumming say they're not sure how they'll be able to afford their propane costs and are hoping the government will bring in a plan to help them stay warm this winter.
Meanwhile, the Alberta government has introduced a rebate program to help people pay their energy bills. The Propane Association says it's hoping Ontario can introduce something similar to help customers deal with the price hikes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
BREAKING Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.