The Kansas City Star (Missouri)
“Warning. Motor Fuel Rip-off Notice.”
That message of displeasure is on a sticker a California group is offering to warn motorists about “hot fuel” — the effect of temperature fluctuation on gasoline and diesel fuel.
The Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights in Santa Monica said it was inspired by two oil companies that recently started putting stickers on their retail fuel pumps because the amount of energy in each gallon can vary with the temperature.
But the foundation’s sticker is larger — it measures 4 1/2 inches by 5 1/2 inches — and includes language with a bit more bite. The sticker, for example, describes how rising temperatures cause gasoline to expand and deliver less energy — costing consumers “up to 10 cents per gallon” at extreme temperatures.
The sticker endorses U.S. Senate Bill 1997. The proposal introduced by Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri would require pumps that adjust for hot fuel so that consumers would receive a “fair gallon.”
Judy Dugan, the foundation’s research director, said the group wanted a sticker that was larger and more direct than the ones being used by ExxonMobil Corp. or Tesoro Corp., which began pasting their stickers on pumps earlier this summer. The foundation’s sticker is intended to not only raise consumer awareness of hot fuel but also point to a cure.
“It’s important to fix it,” Dugan said.
Dugan said the stickers could be put where others could see them, such as on a vehicle’s back window or the door of a house. She emphasized that it would not be legal to paste them on retail gas pumps, which could be construed as posting on private property without permission.
The physics of hot fuel are fairly straightforward. Fuel expands and contracts depending on temperature. At the longtime industry standard of 60 degrees, the 231-cubic-inch U.S. gallon puts out a certain amount of energy.
But fuel is often sold at much higher temperatures, which causes the fuel to expand and the amount of energy to decline for each gallon dispensed. Indeed, a study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology found that the nationwide, year-round average temperature of retail fuel was 64.7 degrees — nearly five degrees above the standard.
At other stages in the fuel-delivery chain, the industry routinely adjusts volume to account for temperature change using the 60-degree industry standard. But retail pumps in America make no adjustment for changes in the volume caused by temperature, so consumers get only 231 cubic inches per gallon regardless of temperature.
Notably, the industry has embraced selling temperature-adjusted fuel to consumers in Canada, where cooler temperatures would otherwise pinch profits for retailers.
But the oil industry has opposed making any changes that would permit the temperature adjustment at retail in this country.
In congressional hearings last month, executives from ExxonMobil and Shell Oil Products US said they supported more study of the issue. They went on to question whether consumers would see any benefit because fuel prices could increase if such a temperature adjustment was allowed or required.
The ExxonMobil and Tesoro stickers are being viewed as a way to limit potential legal liability by seeking to inform consumers that they are purchasing fuel that has not been adjusted for temperature.
ExxonMobil’s sticker, for instance, is labeled a “Motor Fuel Measurement Notice.”
“This device dispenses motor fuel by volume measured in gallons,” states the ExxonMobil sticker. “It does not adjust the volume for variations in the temperature of the fuel. The temperature of motor fuel affects the energy content of each gallon dispensed.”
In a statement, Exxon Mobil said it was posting decals at Exxon and Mobil stations in California and Arizona to advise its customers “of the measurement basis under which fuel is legally allowed to be sold. … It is simply a reminder that motor fuel they are purchasing is sold by volume.”
Tesoro’s hot fuel decals, which are being installed in California and Arizona, state, for example, that the pump “dispenses motor fuel by volume measured in standard gallons (231 cubic inches), as certified by the California Division of Measurement Standards, without adjustment for possible variations due to temperature or other factors which may affect the energy content of each standard gallon dispensed.”
In a statement, spokeswoman Sarah Phipps said: “Tesoro did make a business decision to apply decals on our pumps. … However, we want to make it clear that we are squarely aligned with the industry on there being no merit to the hot fuels claims.”
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Hot fuel stickers:
Those wanting one of the free “Motor Fuel Ripoff Notice” stickers can order them at www.oilwatchdog.org/stickitbigoil or by calling 310-392-0522, ext. 326; or by dropping a note to:
FTCR
1750 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 200
Santa Monica, CA 90405
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To reach Steve Everly, call 816-234-4455 or send e-mail to [email protected]
