Advertisement Gas price gouging law in effect in NC: What it means for consumers Share Shares Copy Link Copy

North Carolina’s law against price gouging is in effect due to limited supplies of gasoline caused by a leak in a pipeline that carries gas from the Gulf Coast to North Carolina and other southeastern states. Click here for latest on gas prices, outages and the pipeline repairsAs of 11 a.m. on Monday, more than 400 consumers had filed complaints online, or via a toll-free hotline to report potential gas price gouging.Attorney General Roy Cooper is urging consumers to report gas prices that seem unreasonably high. “Consumers are our eyes and ears on the ground, and we want to know if you spot potential gas price gouging,” Cooper said.Price gouging is against North Carolina law when a disaster, an emergency, or an abnormal market disruption for critical goods and services is declared or proclaimed by the Governor. The law applies to all levels of the supply chain, from the manufacturer, to the distributor, to the retailer. The price gouging law is currently in effect due to a market disruption for gasoline declared late Friday.How does the law define price gouging?North Carolina law (Chapter 75-38) defines price gouging as charging “a price that is unreasonably excessive under the circumstances.” There is no set price or percentage increase defined in the law, so the law can apply to different products and services in times of crisis. In this case, the law has in effect specifically to prevent gas price gouging. If a gas price looks excessive, report it and we will look into it. How can I report price gouging?You can report price gouging three ways:File a complaint online at ncdoj.gov.Mail us a complaint to: Consumer Protection Division Attorney General's Office Mail Service Center 9001 Raleigh, NC 27699-9001Call 1-877-5-NO-SCAM (toll-free within North Carolina) or 919-716-6000.What should I report?It’s helpful if you can provide receipts if you purchased gas, or photos of gas station price signs you spot. How do officials investigate price gouging?The Consumer Protection Division follows up on complaints of potential price gouging to determine if the law has been violated. They use information provided by consumers, including first-hand reports, receipts, and photos of gas station price signs. They contact gas stations about reports they get and also look at the costs gas stations are charged by their suppliers. What happens to price gougers?Price gougers can face fines of up to $5,000 for each violation under North Carolina law. According to our state Constitution, all fines go to support the public schools.