Siptroth: legislation would allow only one gas hike per day

HARRISBURG n As Pennsylvania residents embark on summer vacations, state Rep. John Siptroth, D-Monroe/Pike, said he suspects hefty fuel prices may keep some travelers home. To ensure some price stability, the representative is urging action on his legislation that would prohibit gasoline retailers from increasing the price of fuel more than once in a 24-hour period. “With the arrival of Memorial Day, gas prices are likely to increase even more and at a time when Pennsylvanians are already feeling the burn of inflated prices at the pump,” Siptroth said. “Currently, prices can be changed by retailers throughout the day, so the cost of gasoline is sometimes significantly higher on your drive home than when you left for work in the morning.” Siptroth said retailers price gas based on a number of factors, including the anticipated market value for the next day. Because the market is so unstable, many gas retailers have been changing the per-gallon retail price of gasoline a number of times a day. “My legislation would address the issue of speculative pricing and give consumers some certainty when filling their tanks that the price will not change in a matter of minutes,” Siptroth said. Siptroth said his bill would help people deal with ever-rising gas prices. The legislation (H. B. 234) was introduced earlier this session and is currently being considered by the House Consumer Affairs Committee.