ExxonMobil Places Disclaimers on Pump Regarding "Hot Fuel"

A small but loaded sticker has begun appearing on some Exxon and Mobil stations in California.

This "Motor Fuel Measurement Notice" states:

"This device dispenses motor fuel by volume measured in gallons. 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."

The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights contends that this is an admission that consumers are not always getting their money's worth when buying hot fuel. As gasoline expands when it warms up, but is sold by volume based on it's density at 60 degrees, consumers are filling up with less actual fuel at higher temperatures. This results in less energy content in each gallon of fuel the pump dispenses. Gasoline is already sold temperature-adjusted at other parts of the supply chain. However, at $3.00 a gallon consumers could be losing .50 cents or more each time they fill their tank. While this is a small individual amount it adds up to an estimated $450 million in overcharges per year for California alone.

The consumer advocacy group notes that oil refiners are facing pressure to fix this problem from current federal legislation as well as a class action lawsuit. Many at the state and federal level have taken notice. Last Friday U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri introduced legislation that would require temperature adjusted dispensing at the pump.

While these disclaimers may be a way to avoid further lawsuits and appease the government, Judy Dugan, research director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights and the project OilWatchdog.org, says they owe consumers "more than a cheap sticker in tiny print." Dugan says the funds to assist dealers with infrastructure are already set aside, and those funds can be used for nozzles that adjust fuel volume based on temperature.

Just such a nozzle is already made by a U.S. company and is approved for sale and use in California. However the company, Gilbarco, has so far decided not to offer it for sale in the U.S.

In a press release from Sen. McCaskill's office the Senator also states that more should be done:

"Some say, 'you get what you pay for'. That's just not the case at the gas pump in the summertime," McCaskill said. "We have the technology to change that, and there's no good reason not to utilize it."

Exxon is placing the stickers on pumps in California and Arizona, however a random selection of stations in Los Angeles and
Santa Monica found that only Exxon owned or franchised stations had the disclaimer. Independent stations carrying the ExxonMobil brand did not.