The state lifted its gasoline tax by $0.25 on April 1 for three months. The AG’s office asked people to report any suspected price gouging.
CROMWELL, Conn. – The attorney general’s office says 200 complaints have been sent to their office from gas stations suspected of price gouging at the pump.
The state lifted its gasoline tax by $0.25 effective April 1 as fuel prices continue to rise. It will last until the end of June.
“It’s really nice to be a commuter and see the prices go down because it’s essential,” said Massachusetts resident Paris Smith. “I was restricting my spending choices.”
RELATED: Drivers See Rising Gas Prices
Smith works in West Hartford and commutes six days a week. She, along with Manchester’s Dwight Heaven, says any savings are helpful.
“The few cents are definitely a relief to my heart when it comes to putting gas in this truck,” Heaven said.
He says it saves him $40 to fill up with the aid.
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The attorney general’s office said it had received 200 complaints of suspected price gouging since the start of the month. 101 letters were sent to stations requesting additional information related to the requests. 65 responses were received. 41 found no violations and 24 are still under investigation. The attorney general’s office says it’s too early to tell if any stations have been found to be price-gouging.
“I think the problem is education. We all know the price goes up. The price should be much higher than it is today,” says gas station Kevin Curry with Teddy’s Stores. “We had a price drop at the beginning of the month. The price didn’t go down but the tax disappeared, which we had to eat until it came back.
He said prices are on the rise again now that summer is approaching. The price for them to fill underground reservoirs is also constantly changing. He said they try to help the riders as much as they can, but they still have to buy the next round.
Curry says they received a complaint that gasoline had gone up 10 cents. He says they bought it for more than that.
RELATED: 25-Cent Gas Tax Will Be Paused April 1, But Some Say It’s Not That Simple
If a gas station is suspected of price gouging, a complaint can be filed here.
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