Moving on from the onboard mpg thread how can we sure that we are actually receiving the fuel we have paid for ?.
Are the pumps checked on a regular basis ?, are they checked by an independant authority ?.
Has anyone actualy filled a container and checked for themselves.
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The answer re checks in yes - my local Sainburys had blocks of 4 pumps at a time coned off and people with calibrated containers were doing things to the pumps. Checks use to be done by some long gone local or Government department called Weights and Measures, There was a van parked nearby belonging to some contractor to whom the job had obviously been outsourced. I guess the pumps are a bit like speedos, to the extent that they may give you too much fuel but they may not, by law, give you too little ie you will always get at least the amount you pay for.
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I've seen stickers on some pumps in Birmingham saying that say are calibrated by the local council regularly, but not elsewhere.
How often does one get to fill a container, especially one with accurate markings for gauging actual fuel delivered? I've never done it.
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I used to work in a garage when I was a student and they were regualarly checked by the company that serviced the pumps. I can't remember how often they were checked but it was at least once every 6 months and may have been once a quarter.
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I've seen dated Trading Standards stickers on pumps in East Yorkshire.
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When I managed a fuel station we had to have the pumps checked & calibrated by trading standards once a year minimum.
After any major work on a pump it was kept out of use until it had been calibrated, again by trading standards.
I seem to recall that there was a charge for the calibration service but it had to be done as there was a yearly check by a council employed official for saftey certs & calibration certs(with fines / court apperances if not up to date).
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Trading Standards allow errors of between +1% and -0.5%.
--
L\'escargot.
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One wonders how often the 20p-a-minute tyre gauges are checked and calibrated?
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