McClatchy Washington Bureau

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Gasoline prices have plummeted to almost a two-year low in South Florida, but many companies are still tacking fuel surcharges onto their customers' bills.

Business owners say they're sticking with the extra charges, for now, to recoup money lost in the recent economic downturn and because they're afraid prices at the pump won't stay so low.

Leonard S. Stern Plumbing in Coral Gables raised its fuel surcharge to $8 from $5 this summer to cope with soaring costs. As of Wednesday, the surcharge was likely to ''stay status quo,'' manager Howard Stamen said.

''We're going to reevaluate things this week, but we're already starting to notice gas stations raising their prices, and we think that might continue now that the election is over,'' Stamen said.

Read the complete story at miamiherald.com