Robbed at the bowser
Are you sure you’re getting every litre of fuel you’re paying for?
Fuel ‘theft’ has doubled in the past two years, according to an audit of petrol bowsers by the National Measurement Institute (NMI). In 2017–19, it found that 4.8 per cent of bowsers had inaccuracies that disadvantaged consumers – double the 2.4 per cent recorded in 2015–16.
The institute issued 58 fines to businesses in 2017–18 and Industry, Science and Technology Minister Karen Andrews says people should report concerns about a petrol bowser reading to the business involved and to the NMI.
She says minor discrepancies could result in a consumer losing between 30 and 90 cents for every $100 spent.
“For the business, that adds up considerably each day, each week, if that discrepancy continues.
“There's a lot of money that can go to a business from a small amount lost by each consumer that comes in.”
The NMI employs about 60 trade measurement inspectors nationwide. They audit about 9500 businesses each year, inspect about 15,000 devices, such as food scales, weighbridges and beverage dispensers.
They also inspect, unannounced, up to 3000 petrol dispensers annually, ensuring litreage dispensed by a bowser matches what a customer pays for, the ABC reports.
How would we know apart from filling a jerry can?