Rising Fuel Prices Cause NB Plumbers to Raise Prices

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The trickle down effect is at work in some municipalities in the province of New Brunswick. For example, in the Fredericton area, some plumbers have begun to increase the prices they charge in order to adjust for the rise in fuel costs.

Wes Clowater of Clowater's Plumbing and Heating said, "We're just a small business and it's having a big toll on the overall cost of doing business."

There are 15 vans belonging to Clowater's on the road travelling to different jobs each day in the Fredericton area. Now the price of fuel has reached a point where something has be done to recoup the expense.

"It's just unfortunate we can't continue to eat [the cost]. We have so far, but we will at some time put the onus on John Q, the customer," Clowater said.

Another company, Oromocto Plumbing and Heating has added a surcharge of 30 cents per kilometre for customers outside of the city limits.

Owner Ron Godin has with four vans on the road and feels the rising cots leave him no choice but to pass along the increase to his customers.

"That's the sad part of it. The customer has to pay the price of it; we have to pass it on. So our product goes up, delivery fees are going up, so really it's affecting everyone," Godin said.

Some customers are less than enthused by the price increase, for instance John Poole is a customer who doesn't like the added costs, however, he is aware that the cost of fuel is affecting business.

"I don't think it's fair," Poole said. "I know it has to happen because what I pay for fuel and what these transportation companies pay for fuel is the same. It has to be added somewhere."

As prices on everything that uses oil continue to rise and peoples' incomes fail to keep up the economic trickle may turn into a tidal wave.