Rachel Ward

Some local businesses are struggling under the weight of increasing gas prices, but&nbsp;landscape and yard maintenance companies have been particularly hard hit.

They're at the mercy of the price at the pump.

In Alberta, prices hit as high as $1.38 in Calgary and $1.36 in Edmonton, according to GasBuddy.com on Wednesday evening.

 costs than last year. Last year we were paying about 90 cents a litre. Now we're paying [almost] $1.40," said Bruce Theunissen, general manager of Signature Landscape Maintenance.

"Bottom line, in combination with the extreme winter that we had, lucky to break even."

'Gas bar shenanigans' spike prices across Alberta, analyst says

Soaring gasoline prices in Calgary and Edmonton pushed the national average to a five-year high, according to an online price monitoring firm.

Fossil fuels such as gasoline are a great way to conveniently store a lot of energy in a very small space. Synthetic versions can theoretically be made from captured carbon dioxide. 

Gasoline pump

Gas prices spiked across Alberta this week with prices in Calgary averaging 138.2 cents per litre and 136.2 in Edmonton Thursday morning.

Theunissen&nbsp;fills up each of his 12 trucks once or twice a week, and has other equipment, from lawn mowers to leaf blowers, all requiring gasoline. He said he will be forced to raise prices — once this year's contracts expire.

Chris Jorgenson, a co-owner&nbsp;of Canada Yard Pro Ltd., says he's taking a risk to save his family-run business with a big switch over for the next season in Calgary and Edmonton.

Chris Jorgenson, a co-owner of Canada Yard Pro Ltd., says he's trying to save his family-run business by taking a risk on a new technology. He's pictured here with his granddaughter, Isabella Bradford.

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He's installing&nbsp;robotic mowers for his customers. The automatic machines roll around a client's lawn on battery power, keeping the grass short.

He will lease them to clients for the same price they pay for traditional lawn care. The only crew required, he said, would be to do the edging and delivery.

"We have to or we have to close our doors," Jorgenson said. "There's not a chance that we'll make money this year. We are going to lose money this year, and it boils down to gas prices."

Bruce Theunissen, general manager of Signature Landscape Maintenance, says gas prices are cutting into profits in a big way.

Landscapers 'lucky to break even' with high gas prices

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