How do you think this gouging works? They just decide to set prices high? Why doesn't any competitor come in and cut prices? Everyone is colluding? OK, well then why do prices ever come down? Why did they wait until now to raise prices to this level when they could have done it 10 years ago? Are they that stupid?
Besides, the world price of Crude (the stuff that they make gas out of) has gone up. Are you saying that they should have kept gas prices the same when the input went up? Do you know the slightest bit about the energy industry? Do you know the slightest bit about economics? If so, please explain to me how this gouging works.
Huh? Where did you get that from? That is totally untrue. Even if it was, so what? Let's say you bought an once of gold for $280 a few years ago. Today you go to sell it. Would you sell it for the current market price, or would you sell it for a slight markup over what you paid for it? What if the buyer says "Hey, the price for the gold you are selling me was set two years ago!"?