Photo: Rob Gibson

Shell sign located at corner of Harvey Avenue and Richter Street in Kelowna.

If you've pulled into the pump in recent days, you've likely noticed gas prices are on the rise in the Okanagan.

The price of regular gasoline in the Thompson-Okanagan region ranges from 130.9 to 152.9 cents per litre, depending on where you are.

The cheapest gas, according to GasBuddy.com is in Penticton with prices ranging between 130.9 and 132.9, prices in Kamloops range between 139.9 and 152.9. Prices in Kelowna and Vernon are virtually identical with lows at 143.9 and highs around 150.9.

Dan McTeague who owns and operates the Gas Wizard website says the recent price increase is a result of what he calls the Chicago spot market, which has gone up 30 cents a gallon.

"They have gone up on the U.S. markets in reflection to higher demand and lower output. Refineries in the United States are running at about 90 per cent capacity. That's a little low in advance of the Memorial Day long weekend. So that really explains much of what we've seen," says McTeague.

Oil refineries have also switched to a summer blend designed to reduce the the possibility of gas evaporation in vehicles during the summer by producing gasoline blends with lower Reid vapour pressure.

McTeague says fuel prices have gone up right across the country.

"Prices are starting to go up naturally on the markets, as they normally do at this time of year, however, they might have gone a lot higher."

McTeague says the price increase could have been worse, "Supply is down a little bit, but demand isn't that strong. So that's one of the saving graces in all this," says McTeague.