Time to stop the overcharging by propane companies

To the Editor:
I recently experienced sticker shock as I read my latest propane delivery bill, a whopping 232 percent above the average market price. My experience with propane companies has been consistent — they rent you the tanks, bait and switch and then charge anything they want when they deliver.
Could you imagine being forced to shop at a single supermarket and not knowing the price of your groceries until you reached the counter? Worse, imagine you could not "return" the items to the store and say "No thanks" because you would starve.
A quick investigation into major suppliers shows class-action lawsuits, thousands of reports of overcharging, large volumes of rip-off reports, Attorney General settlements and a long history of price gouging. The average consumer does not have the wherewithal to launch a lawsuit or remedy the situation. The problem seems systemic.
No one disputes that propane companies should make a profit. However, it appears the current strategy with customers is bait, switch and burn them. We need legislators and regulators to step in and protect the citizens from abuse.
Frank Angiolelli
Milford