Gasoline volume does change at the pump!

[SVOboy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/15/business/15fuel.html

Mwahhaha.

Seventeen oil companies and gasoline service stations have been named in a class-action suit accusing them of overcharging customers at the pump by failing to compensate for changes in gasoline volumes when temperatures rise.

The consumer fraud suit contends that oil companies fail to take into account the fact that gasoline expands when the temperature exceeds 60 degrees. Therefore, the suit says, consumers get less energy for each gallon they buy.

The suit was filed Wednesday by a small number of truck drivers and motorists in California.

According to Public Citizen, a consumer association, the oil industry has resisted installing equipment that can adjust gasoline volumes delivered at the pump when temperatures change. While the difference amounts to pennies per gallon, Public Citizen estimates that oil companies end up overcharging consumers by more than $2 billion each year.

The American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry?s largest trade group, has said that changing the existing metering systems would be too costly while benefits to consumers would be small.

The companies named in the suit include Chevron, 7-Eleven, Valero and Wal-Mart Stores.

[repete86]

YAY! **** big oil!

[Silveredwings]

According to Public Citizen, a consumer association, the oil industry has resisted installing equipment that can adjust gasoline volumes delivered at the pump when temperatures change. While the difference amounts to pennies per gallon, Public Citizen estimates that oil companies end up overcharging consumers by more than $2 billion each year.

The American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry?s largest trade group, has said that changing the existing metering systems would be too costly while benefits to consumers would be small.

If $2 Billion is such a small amount they could simply charge us $2 Billion less. How ****ing hard is that? How many $Billion do taxpayers already GIVE them in subsidies and other perks?

So what I see is that pig oil has worked hard to make sure things work this way and they'd really prefer to have it continue. They think that's reasonable. If you don't believe them, just ask them.

[basjoos]

I don't see where there would be much variation in gasoline temperatures. The storage tanks at your local gas station are underground, so the temperature of the gas stored in them would end up stabilizing at your local deep ground (cave or well water) temps. So it doesn't matter if you are gassing up in the day, night, winter or summer, the temperature of the gasoline will remain about the same.

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by basjoos

I don't see where there would be much variation in gasoline temperatures. The storage tanks at your local gas station are underground, so the temperature of the gas stored in them would end up stabilizing at your local deep ground (cave or well water) temps. So it doesn't matter if you are gassing up in the day, night, winter or summer, the temperature of the gasoline will remain about the same.

I agree 100% with this.

The fact that there is a lawsuit doesn't mean it's factual. As far as we know the lawsuit was initiated just so that big oil would settle out of court and make a few lawyers rich. That type of thing happens all of the time, especially in California.

[Peakster]

Virtually all the gas pumps I've used in my city have a label stating "Fuel Volumes Corrected To 15*C"

Otherwise, I'd always fill my tank at night, so when the temperature raises in the day, I'd have 'more' gas. Although probably less BTU per fuel unit.

[red91sit]

Originally Posted by Peakster

Virtually all the gas pumps I've used in my city have a label stating "Fuel Volumes Corrected To 15*C"

Otherwise, I'd always fill my tank at night, so when the temperature raises in the day, I'd have 'more' gas. Although probably less BTU per fuel unit.

Baah early morning would be ideal. AT night it's just starting to cool off.

[SVOboy]

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

I agree 100% with this.

The fact that there is a lawsuit doesn't mean it's factual. As far as we know the lawsuit was initiated just so that big oil would settle out of court and make a few lawyers rich. That type of thing happens all of the time, especially in California.

I'm not saying the lawsuit proves it factual, but since the API admits it an canada has legislation against it, I say it's meaningful to some degree.

[JanGeo]

Don't forget that the fuel is transported in a truck many miles and will heat up during that trip - or cool down. I'm sure they don't want to be loosing volume when in the truck . . . do they pay by what they pump into your car??? I wonder what the ratio of cost of heating the gasoline to the volume expansion savings is.

[kps]

Originally Posted by Peakster

Virtually all the gas pumps I've used in my city have a label stating "Fuel Volumes Corrected To 15*C".

Yup, the pumps are temperature-corrected by regulation that the oil companies are happy with here, where pumping cold gas all winter would cost them money.