A new investigation has found that petrol stations are dispensing less fuel than motorists have paid for, with major retailer Asda among those said to be affected. The report from The Telegraph identified a series of pump failures, prompting concerns that drivers are being short-changed at the forecourt.
Short measures refer to a petrol or diesel pump dispensing a lesser quantity of fuel than what the customer has initially paid for or what is recorded on the meter. Fuel dispensers are allowed a small margin of error, around 0.5% less than the billed amount, but when a pump exceeds this limit, there could be trouble. The issue is that pumps can malfunction or fall out of calibration, meaning drivers could be receiving less fuel than they paid for.
Pump Failures Found at Asda and Welcome Break
According to The Telegraph, many cases are feared to have been missed, with council trading standards offices admitting they are not keeping up regular forecourt inspections. The report claims that an unleaded dispenser delivered 76ml less than the indicated 10 litres during a slow-flow test at an Asda Express in Tynemouth. North Tyneside council has since said that the dispenser was disqualified from use.
Meanwhile, two pumps at Welcome Break's Charnock Richard services located on the M6 in Lancashire were also disqualified after a shortfall of 170ml and 120ml were found on a 20-litre measure. This would mean road users were receiving 0.85% less fuel than the pump had claimed.
Retailers Respond to Allegations
Welcome Break said the faulty pumps identified were an "isolated incident, with those found to be under-dispensing immediately taken out of service and the issue was corrected." A spokesman for Asda said the issue was "most likely due to normal meter drift over time rather than a physical pump failure". They told The Express that the pump was found to be over delivering and under-delivering at the point of inspection and so was taken out of service, repaired and then switched back on in the space of a week.
A spokesperson told The Express: "All our pumps are monitored and tested regularly. If it is found to be faulty then it is immediately taken out of service and repaired. This specific pump was found to be both over and under dispensing as a result of standard wear over time, was immediately repaired and passed its next inspection."
AA Warns of Impact on Drivers
According to The Telegraph, Jack Cousens, the AA's head of roads policy, stressed motorists were being "ripped off". He added: "If the actual amount of fuel a driver receives is even five or 10 miles less than what they pay for, that can blow a tight budget. And imagine what that means if the motorist always goes to the same retailer out of 'loyalty'."
The Express has contacted Welcome Break for further comment.
