Massachusetts Attorney General James Shannon said he was contacting counterparts in other states to protect consumers against price gouging. Rhode Island Attorney General James O'Neil called it "naked greed" and said there should be investigations by Congress and the National Association of Attorneys General.

An employee at a Boston Texaco station, who asked not to be identified, expressed similar complaints, saying workers had to raise gasoline prices by six cents last Friday.

"We are at the mercy of our suppliers," the employee said.

At Carl's Sunoco in Warwick, R.I., where manager Tom Seaton said prices had increased three cents a gallon during the weekend, the extent of most complaints was a shift to self-serve.

"They don't care. Some people complain, but most just put the gas in," he said.

"The market basically doesn't respond to real facts anymore. It responds to perceptions and what people think is happening," said Robert Murray, vice president of the American Automobile Association of South Central New England.

Richard Sedano, chief engineer for the Vermont Department of Public Service, said the department has received some complaints about the increase in home heating oil prices.

"It's not a huge list," Sedano said. "There doesn't seem to be any unavailability of product."

Meanwhile, more than a dozen U.S. senators sent a letter yesterday to President Bush, urging him to watch for price-gouging by retail gas and oil dealers.

"Rather than waiting to look back and study why prices have increased, we believe that you should pull together the resources of the federal government to monitor the situation now," the lawmakers said.

Among those signing the letter were Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), and Claiborne Pell, (D-R.I.).