Gas pump inaccuracies both help, hurt consumer

Associated Press AUSTIN — Thousands of inaccurate gas pumps each year give Texas motorists more or less fuel than the amount for which they pay. A total of 5,778 pumps — more than 5 percent of the 109,369 pumps inspected last year in Texas — gave the wrong amount of gasoline or had other problems that put them out of service until they were repaired. Almost 28 percent of the problem pumps — 1,612 — shorted customers beyond a small variance allowed by the state, according to Texas Department of Agriculture inspection data analyzed by the San Antonio Express-News and the Houston Chronicle. The information was contained in a report for Saturday’s newspapers. The percentage reflects only inspection categories that measure gas output, not other problems that can affect pump accuracy and also potentially short the customer.... [read full story]