WFSB 3 in Hartford, Connecticut, reports on “pain” from high diesel prices that is hurting small businesses: “We got to provide for our families too”
Reporter Owen Kingsley: “Those that aren’t charging extra, they’re hurting extra”
Published
This post is part of a series chronicling news coverage of rising prices in the United States. See more here.
Citation
From a June 4, 2026, video posted to the YouTube channel of WFSB 3
ERIN CONNOLLY (CO-ANCHOR): Rising diesel prices are forcing an unwelcome choice on small businesses. They can either take the pain themselves or pass it on to you.
STEPHANIE SIMONI (CO-ANCHOR): And your reporter Owen Kingsley is live in Meriden to explain why many feel they only really have one option here, Owen.
OWEN KINGSLEY (REPORTER): Yeah, it's called a diesel fuel surcharge. You might see it on your receipt if you hire a moving company or a landscaper, anybody who's got those vehicles that are burning through diesel, and well, they need to offset those extra costs. And while those that aren't charging extra, they're hurting extra.
Dan Brevetti has been landscaping in Wolcott for years, but one thing he's never had to do before —
DAN BREVETTI (OWNER OF DB LANDSCAPING): I would say 90% of landscape businesses are probably putting in fuel charges.
KINGSLEY: The owner of DB Landscaping says he had no choice. In April, he started charging customers an extra 5% for the cost of diesel he's using to do the job, a decision that got him some pushback from customers, but ultimately it hasn't lost him any business.
BREVETTI: Small business owners have families. We got to provide for our families too.
KINGSLEY: According to AAA, diesel in Connecticut costs $5.69 per gallon on average, almost double what it was in February. When that number drops below $4, Brevetti plans to drop the surcharge.
George Porter owns Wolcott Sanitation Services. He says he serves most of Wolcott’s septic tanks.
You've thought about the idea of putting a diesel surcharge?
GEORGE PORTER (OWNER OF WOLCOTT SANITATION SERVICES): I did, and I just, I stopped. I just said that we're in the same boat as everybody else, so I'm trying to make it work.
KINGSLEY: Trying to make it work has resulted in a sizable drop in earnings this spring.
PORTER: I'm going to say probably a third to a quarter of my profits, I could see my numbers are not the same as what I was last year.
KINGSLEY: Now he responds to calls differently, grouping customers together on the same day who live in the same area, fewer trips, less diesel burned.
PORTER: We're just trying to be smarter now because financially it's catching us off.
KINGSLEY: This also affects shops that repair diesel trucks. Frank Carnemolla of Nuway Truck and Trailer Repair says businesses are delaying service and repairs because of the cost of diesel.
FRANK CARNEMOLLA (CO-OWNER OF NUWAY TRUCK AND TRAILER REPAIR): A lot of customers don't want to spend that extra money right now.
KINGSLEY: Are you guys seeing just fewer customers?
CARNEMOLLA: Yeah, business definitely slowed down. I mean, we're standing in an open bay right now. Normally we don't have that around here.
KINGSLEY: The cost of diesel has slowly started to trickle down. A month ago it was 15 more cents, and a week ago it was 10 more cents than where it currently is. But the businesses who I've spoken with say that as long as it remains as high as it has, likely you can expect those surcharges to remain as well.