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Resident asks Franklin Township to probe unusually high Exxon prices on Easton Avenue
Summary
Chiwei Troy, a Franklin resident, urged the township to investigate persistent higher prices at the Exxon station at 1101 Easton Avenue, citing examples that showed midgrade and premium prices as much as about 40% higher than nearby stations and suggesting referrals to the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs and the BBB.
A Franklin Township resident asked the council to investigate what he called "extraordinary" gasoline pricing at the Exxon station at 1101 Easton Avenue, saying the station repeatedly charges significantly more than competitors less than a mile away.
"Regular gasoline is frequently priced 10 to 20% higher than nearby competitors," Chiwei Troy said during the public comment portion of the June 23 council meeting. He said that, before the meeting, the station was charging $5.99 for plus and $6.39 for premium while a nearby Exxon was charging $4.29 and $4.69, and another station showed $4.35 and $4.49, which Troy said represented roughly a 40% premium.
Troy asked the township to consider whether the pricing warranted a consumer-protection investigation and, if appropriate, to forward complaints to the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs and the Better Business Bureau so residents'concerns would be documented.
Township officials responded in public comment that New Jersey does not regulate retail gasoline prices except during declared emergencies. The township manager and the township attorney explained that while price-setting is not regulated in normal times, advertising and sales practices are subject to weights-and-measures rules and other consumer protections. The manager described the station's location as a factor, saying some stations historically charge more because they are the last station before a highway interchange, and he advised consumers to avoid the station if they object to the price.
The council did not direct any formal investigation during the meeting; the manager and attorney explained the limits of local authority and suggested available enforcement channels (state consumer-affairs referral and weights-and-measures) and practical remedies for consumers.
The council's discussion did note the township could forward resident complaints to state agencies or the BBB for documentation and potential follow-up, but no motion to initiate such a referral was recorded on the meeting floor.
