The news: CAA’s national average for regular gasoline was 179.3 cents a litre on the morning of September 29, 2026. A year ago it was 134.0 cents, so the same litre costs 45.3 cents more. The price has come off a little in the past week, from 182.5 cents, but it is still up from 170.9 cents a month ago. On a 50-litre fill, that is about $22.65 more than the same fill cost last September. CAA national gas prices
What it means: Whether a hybrid pays for itself comes down to three numbers: the gap between the two fuel ratings, how far you drive, and what a litre costs. Only the third one changed. At 20,000 km a year, every 1 L/100 km of difference between two vehicles is 200 litres of fuel. At last September’s price that was about $268 a year. At today’s price it is about $359, roughly $91 more for each litre per 100 km. To illustrate, a 2 L/100 km gap is now worth about $717 a year, against $536 at last year’s price. For the published ratings on a real pair, my CR-V Hybrid versus gas breakdown sets the two side by side. On the floor, the buyers this changes are the ones who ran the numbers last year, decided the hybrid did not pay back, and have not run them since.
My prediction: CAA’s national average for regular gasoline will still be above 160 cents a litre on March 31, 2027, because the climb from 134 cents has built over months and tracks the oil prices economists cited this month when October rate-hike odds jumped. It is not a one-week spike that the switch to winter-blend fuel will simply erase. I’ll be wrong if CAA’s national average on March 31, 2027 is 160.0 cents or lower.
If you’re buying right now: Run the gas-versus-hybrid comparison twice, at today’s 179 cents and at last year’s 134. If the hybrid pays back inside the years you plan to keep the car even at 134 cents, the choice doesn’t depend on where gas goes next. If it only works at 179, you’re betting on the price staying high. See the Honda hybrid lineup in Canada for which models come as a hybrid, and this month’s Honda deals for the current program on each.
Quick answers
How much has gas gone up in Canada compared with last year?
CAA's national average for regular gasoline was 179.3 cents a litre on September 29, 2026, against 134.0 cents a year earlier, an increase of 45.3 cents. It was 182.5 cents a week earlier and 170.9 cents a month earlier.
How much does a hybrid save at today's gas price?
It depends on the gap between the two ratings and how far you drive. As arithmetic: at 20,000 km a year, every 1 L/100 km of difference is 200 litres, which costs about $359 a year at 179.3 cents a litre, against about $268 at last year's 134.0 cents. A 2 L/100 km gap is worth about $717 a year at today's price.
Should I pick a hybrid because gas is expensive right now?
Run the numbers at today's price and at a lower one, then compare the result with the price difference between the two trims. If the hybrid still pays back inside the time you plan to keep the car at the lower gas price, the decision does not depend on where gas goes next.
Want the math done on your commute?
Tell me roughly how far you drive in a year and which two trims you’re torn between. I’ll work out the fuel difference at today’s price and at last year’s.
Henry Chen
Sales and Leasing Executive, Maple Honda
89 Auto Vaughan Dr, Maple, ON L6A 4A1
647-523-6878 · henry@maplehonda.com
Sources: CAA national average gas prices, as posted September 29, 2026 (today, yesterday, week-ago, month-ago and year-ago averages). Dollar figures are arithmetic on those prices at 20,000 km a year, not a rating for any specific model. Predictions are my personal read, not Honda Canada policy.
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