(Host) The Attorney General’s office has cracked down on four propane companies that charged customers an extra fee with each delivery. The four companies will collectively pay about $284,000 as part of a settlement in the case.
Attorney General William Sorrell says the companies assessed $2.00 or more per delivery, supposedly to cover the cost of government regulations. Sorrell says companies aren’t allowed to charge extra for regularly scheduled deliveries of fuel.
(Sorrell) “These four companies that do business under a bunch of different names here in Vermont, they were putting on their bills extra charges that were environmental fees or regulatory compliance fees or government mandated fees, that were really just hidden extra delivery costs. And those aren’t allowed under our regulations, under our law.”
(Host) The four companies did not admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement. Sorrell says the fines will go into the state’s general fund. He says consumers have the right to seek refunds by contacting their propane dealer. The companies are: AmeriGas Propane, Cornerstone Propane Partners, Heritage Operating, and Suburban Propane.