Conn. Extends Ban On Price Gouging In Power Outage

HARTFORD (AP) — Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen has extended through Labor Day weekend a ban on price gouging for gasoline and heating fuel.

Jepsen said Tuesday he will extend the notice of abnormal market disruption for energy resources to 5 pm September 6. It had been scheduled to expire at midnight Wednesday.

State law says unconscionably excessive prices are a gross disparity between prices before and after a market disruption such as Tropical Storm Irene. An amount charged by the seller that is not the result of higher costs is evidence that a price is unconscionably excessive.

Jepsen says he extended the ban because of widespread power outages that include many gas stations.

Consumer Protection Commissioner William Rubenstein also urged consumers to conserve gasoline to ensure sufficient supplies.