Gas pump inaccuracies both help, hurt consumer

10:46 AM CDT on Saturday, July 5, 2008 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... [read full story]