Tips for fuel storage as gas prices soar

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It is no secret gas prices have been going up in the Lower Mainland with the threat they could jump much higher;.

So is it time to start hoarding it?

One expert says there’s nothing wrong with storing quantities of fuel, so long as it’s kept properly. “Because if it leaks then of course both gasoline can get out and some oxygen can get in and that would also give the fumes, which would be highly undesireable to breath in,” explains Olev Trass, a chemical engineer at the University of Toronto.

Trass says a normal jerrycan desiged for gas will work as a good container. “I would say a couple of months, definitely I would not be unduly concerned if it be the whole winter. I would be a little more concerned about the whole summer because when it’s hot, of course, any chemical reactions, some deterioration which may occure will be faster.”

The important thing is to make sure the jerrycan is sealed. “I would think that if one tightens it very closely so that it’s pretty hard to open up, that should be sufficient. I would not think of any special guards to seal it.”

BC drivers pay some of the highest gas taxes across the country. Prices topped $1.50 per litre on March 7th.

With a new carbon tax being introduced this April 1st and nearby refineries set to undergo major maintenance, some industry experts say people can expect to start seeing an extra five to 10 cent increase at the pumps by that date.

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