Just paid $2.03 per Gal here in jersey the other day.
thats down from about $2.80 pre Katrina and $3.20 after Katrina
I am hearing prices are expected to continue falling.
I was thinking that maybe it had somethig to do with this
NJ Sues Oil Companies Over Post-Katrina Gas-Price Gouging
Hess, Motiva Shell, Sunoco and Independents Are Targets
Sep 27, 2005 7:30 am US/Eastern
TRENTON (AP) New Jersey filed suit against three oil companies and several independent gas station owners Monday, charging them with gouging motorists during Hurricane Katrina.
The lawsuits, filed in Mercer County Superior Court, charge Hess, Motiva Shell and Sunoco with artificially inflating gas prices and for increasing prices more than the once-a-day legal limit. Independent gas station operators selling Hess, Shell, Sunoco and Citgo brands were also sued.
Specifically, the defendants are charged with violating the state's motor fuels and consumer fraud acts through their pricing practices.
"The goal here is to protect consumers' hard-earned money from artificial inflation and economic exploitation,'' said Attorney General Peter Harvey, whose office initiated the suits. "Some of these dealers were using Katrina to artificially inflate the price, because there were sufficient supplies that this kind of pricing did not have to occur.''
Harvey said the charges resulted from investigations by the Office of Weights and Measures and county officials and were based in part on consumer complaints. More than 400 gas stations were monitored during the first week of September, with 100 alleged violations recorded.
The probe began after consumers began to complain about steep and sudden rises in gas prices just before Labor Day weekend. New Jersey gas prices hit their highest-ever levels on Labor Day at an average of $3.16 per gallon of regular.
"Companies that prey on hardworking families through fraudulent practices should feel the full force of the law,'' acting Gov. Richard J. Codey said in a statement issued late Monday. ``Katrina was a devastating hurricane, not a financial windfall for the shameless.''
The complaint also alleges that the defendants engaged in "unconscionable practices,'' which Harvey said included charging motorists' credit cards for more gasoline than they received. He said the suit seeks restitution for customers who were overcharged.
Another bogus practice was to charge drivers for higher octane gas while filling their tanks with lower octane fuel, Harvey said.
Anne Peebles, a spokeswoman for Motiva Shell, said "Shell and Motiva have a history of being sensitive to price changes during significant events such as Hurricane Katrina, and so do our retailers and wholesalers. We do not condone price-gouging and we work closely with local officials in any investigation. We have absolutely no knowledge of the lawsuit.''
Jay Wilson, vice president of investor relations for Hess Corp., said Monday that he hadn't seen the suit and would not comment on it.
Sunoco did not immediately return calls for comment.
Fines are up $10,000 for Consumer Fraud Act violations and up to $200 for violating the Motor Fuels Act.
(© 2005 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. )
