COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio attorney general says his office is on the lookout for price-gouging in the propane market as the long, cold winter strains supplies.
The office will monitor complaints about propane prices and shortages and will work with other states to look for possible “anti-competitive” actions related to propane sales, Attorney General Mike DeWine says.
The approximately six percent of Ohioans use propane to heat their homes have been told that propane availability is limited and that increased demand, depleted inventories and transportation problems have led to price increases.
DeWine says his office will monitor reports of potential price gouging or other unfair business practices related to the cold.
Meanwhile, state officials remind eligible Ohioans that the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio’s Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus allows eligible Ohioans to pay utility bills based on a percentage of household income.
Customers with a total household income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level pay a percentage of their income for their utility bills.
The propane industry says farmers using propane to dry crops and the unusually cold weather have put a strain on supplies and the transmission system has not been up to the task of maintaining inventories.
Gov. John Kasich, several of his counterparts and the U.S. Department of Transportation have taken steps to make transportation of propane easier.
DeWine says his office has heard from consumers who say suppliers are not filling tanks as quickly or are charging higher prices that some consumers believe amount to price gouging.
While Ohio does not have a statute that deals directly with price gouging, DeWine says state law bans “unconscionable sales practices.”
A practice could be considered unconscionable if the supplier knew at the time of the transaction that the price was substantially higher than the price available elsewhere, DeWine says.
Consumers who suspect price gouging or other unfair business practices are urged to contact the attorney general’s office online or at 800-282-0515.