5/22/09

Turn Down Hot Fuel!

Did you know that "Hot Fuel" is forcing us to pay EVEN MORE at the pump every time we fill up? This is a going to be even more of an issue as we go into the summer months, as the tempurature rises it could effectively eat up the fuel discounts that we get from certain stores that we shop so hard for. With permission from OOIDA via OOIDA Representative Howard Hart, I have reposted an article from Turn Down Hot Fuel



Hot Fuel Costs Consumers More Than 2.3 Billion Dollars Annually


The price of gasoline and diesel is already a major concern to all motorists. What you may not know is that the temperature of the fuel you pump into your tank affects how much money you spend and how much fuel is ultimately consumed.

In short, you may not be getting what you pay for.





What is "Hot Fuel"?
The phrase “hot fuel” refers to expanded diesel fuel or gasoline that is sold at retail pumps at temperatures higher than the century-old government standard of 60 degrees. That is the temperature/volume used in the petro-chemical industry to measure all petroleum liquids.
At the 60-degree standard, a gallon of fuel delivers a certain amount of measurable energy, or BTU. But when expanded by higher temperatures, that same amount of fuel actually delivers less energy.
The warmer the fuel, the less BTU and fewer miles to the gallons a vehicle will receive. Consequently, if a vehicle averages six miles per gallon, 200 gallons of 98-degree fuel is going to take a truck 36 fewer miles than 60-degree fuel.

Mission
The purpose of the “Turn Down Hot Fuel” Web site is to educate consumers on the need for automatic temperature compensation at all retail fuel pumps.
The Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association (OOIDA) has been involved in this issue since 2002 when members expressed concern about how it affects their costs of operations.




Extra Sales Tax Dollars $$Another added cost to consumers
The bottom line is not only how much extra money consumers have been paying at the pump, but also the extra sales tax dollars kept by retailers.
Gasoline and diesel fuel are measured and taxed at the same time whenever the retailer purchases it wholesale from the refinery (or rack).
Any additional amount of taxes paid by motorists at the pump, because they may be buying fuel at temperatures higher than 60 degrees, unfairly financially benefits the oil companies and the retailers.
In other words, the retailers are charging sales tax for a certain volume but paying less themselves, if the temperature of the fuel is higher than 60 degrees.
Did you Know?
  • Filling up your tank in the morning when it's cooler makes no difference in cost savings because the 35,000-gallon underground tanks do not dramatically change temperature in daily cycles.

  • Larger fuel retailers turn over supply very rapidly, greatly reducing the fuel's time spent in the underground, insulated tanks.

  • Fuel experiences significant expansion and contraction with temperature changes:Gas = 1 percent per 15 degrees F change. Diesel = .6 percent per 15 degrees F change.

  • Canada and Hawaii have used automatic temperature adjustment devices at retail fuel pumps for a number of years.


Many Thanks To OOIDA for representing our Professional Truckers who put the food and goods on our tables and in our homes every day.



No comments: