Province uses interrupter clause to spike diesel prices almost 15 cents
Posted Sep 12, 2026 10:54:30 AM.
The Nova Scotia Energy Board used an interrupter clause on Saturday, Sept. 12 to increase diesel prices across the province, up almost 15 cents.
Gas prices remain unchanged as of 12:01 a.m. in Nova Scotia despite the interrupter clause.
Diesel fuel now costs between 267.2 and 270.2 cents per litre across gas stations in Halifax.
Fluctuating prices due to Iran War
Gas and diesel prices shot up after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February and have not settled down since. Crude oil traffic through the key Strait of Hormuz has plunged, and Iran has refused to reopen the waterway.
“Everything points to the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz,” said Tom Seng, a professor of energy finance at Texas Christian University.
Gas prices typically drop as the summer driving season ends and refineries turn to making a cheaper winter blend.
But Seng said there are other factors this year even beyond the volatile situation in the Middle East that make future prices unpredictable. U.S. refineries are working at 98 per cent capacity, many in the unusually harsh Texas heat. If there are problems there or a hurricane knocks some systems offline, prices will struggle to drop.
And it’s not just a Middle East problem. Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries are squeezing diesel supplies. Chinese refiners are seeing declining outputs as well, said Matthew Metzgar, a clinical professor of economics at UNC Charlotte.
The rise in diesel across Nova Scotia comes after price decreases for both diesel and gas on the regular Friday price adjustment on Sept. 11.
With files from the American Press
