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Unidentified Durham gas station gets inquiry over gas tax savings

One Durham station is among 42 asked to explain their pricing. State officials won’t identify the business and stress that an inquiry doesn’t establish wrongdoing.

Wes Platt

Wes Platt

— 3 min read
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Unidentified Durham gas station gets inquiry over gas tax savings
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An unidentified Durham County gas station has received an inquiry from Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s office over concerns about whether it passed along savings from North Carolina’s temporary gas tax suspension.

Bailey Aldridge, Jackson’s press secretary, said the office couldn’t identify the station while the review remains underway.

“We're unable to share that while our review continues,” Aldridge told Southpoint Access. “These letters are just to request additional information and don’t indicate that the gas station has broken the law.”

The Durham station is among 42 statewide that received letters seeking explanations of their pricing practices, according to the office’s Nov. 6 update.

“We’re now seeing broad compliance with the law from gas stations, but we’re taking a closer look where we need to,” Jackson said in the release.

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The total grew from 31 stations in the first round of inquiries announced Oct. 30.

Separately, Jackson’s office referred nine complaints to the N.C. Department of Agriculture involving differences between advertised prices and prices charged at the pump. One involved a Wake County retailer. Together, the inquiries and referrals accounted for 51 complaints the office had followed up on as of Nov. 6.

The General Assembly approved, and Gov. Josh Stein signed, legislation suspending the state’s 41-cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline and diesel from Oct. 10 through Nov. 30. The law directs that the savings reach consumers.

That didn’t mean every station had to immediately cut its price by 41 cents. Stations could still have fuel purchased before the suspension with the tax included in its cost. When Jackson launched N.C. Fuel Check on Oct. 13, his office said most stations were expected to receive new deliveries within about a week.

The program accepts consumer complaints, and DOJ also reviews public pricing data for stations charging substantially more than comparable businesses nearby.

Drivers can submit concerns through N.C. Fuel Check or call 1-877-5-NO-SCAM. The office asks for:

  • The business’s name and location.
  • When the driver visited, the fuel grade, and its price.
  • Photos showing the posted price and the receipt.
  • An explanation of why the driver believes the savings weren’t passed along.
  • Prices observed at nearby stations and any other supporting records.

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