Are gas stations price gouging on Staten Island? Pol wants investigation amid Iran conflict
Originally published in
Staten Island Advance
on
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A Staten Island official has called for an investigation into recent fuel prices to determine if companies are engaging in unlawful price gouging in the wake of the Iran conflict.
State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, a Democrat representing Staten Island and Southern Brooklyn, sent a letter to New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday requesting the office examine whether pricing practices violate New York’s consumer protection laws.
Scarcella-Spanton did not list exact stations, but she said constituents in Dongan Hills, West Brighton and south Brooklyn in particular have reported immediate increases in gas prices at local stations in recent days amid the escalating fighting in the Middle East.
She said some reported changes of 11 to 15 cents a gallon.
“Although I understand that due to the basics of supply and demand, retailers will respond to global oil market changes, I am concerned that some gas companies may be taking advantage of this international conflict to impose unjustified price increases that exceed what would be reasonably expected,” she wrote.
Scarcella-Spanton asked the attorney general to examine recent pricing patterns for transportation fuels across New York State, investigate instances where fuel prices appear to exceed normal responses and take enforcement action where evidence suggests violations.
She also highlighted how crucial affordability is to her constituents.
“As affordability remains a top issue impacting all New Yorkers, we cannot allow consumers to fall victim to anyone attempting to take advantage of this current moment of geopolitical instability,” she said. “Fuel costs are a significant expense for New York families and businesses, and protecting consumers against abusive pricing practices is critically important.”
“This is something similar that happened back in 2006... where it’s not the gas station owners, it’s the gas company that will artificially increase the price of gas and pass it down the consumer to offset whatever is going to happen,” she said. “We’ve seen this play before, way before I was ever elected. I did speak to my predecessor about it, Senator [Diane] Savino, who has a lot of memories of price gouging during those years. Being mindful of and getting ahead of it is the most important thing that we can do.”
