Zone pricing is the practice of oil companies charging higher wholesale prices to stations in certain geographic areas. The practice is generally based on local markets. Prices are higher in more affuent markets and lower in poorer communities.

Spano said in a letter to Cuomo that companies continue to engage in zone pricing in the county, despite a state law that was supposed to ban it. He pointed to surveys by the county’s Department of Consumer Protection that show gas prices in communities like Bedford, Croton-on-Hudson, Katonah, Rye and Somers are up to 30 cents a gallon higher than the average.

The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded is $2.11, the department found in a survey posted on its Web site at www.westchestergov.com/consumer.

While prices have been on rise lately, the average is still $1.27 lower than a year ago, the department said.

The lowest price in the latest survey was $1.899 at a Shell station at 160 Highland Ave. in Ossining.

The highest price, $2.499, was at a Citgo station at 143 Lake St. in White Plains and at a Sunoco at 105 Bedford Road in Katonah.