The purpose of the U.S. government's regulation of monopolies is to ensure that those entities to not exploit monopoly status and leverage it to the detriment of the American consumer. The most common monopoly with which most consumers would be familiar is electric utilities. These entities are regulated in that the rates they charge must be reviewed and approved by the government, which prevents overcharging to produce excess profits. This allows for a balance between the convenience of a single provider and consumer protection.