State Bureau of Weights and Measures Says Gas Pumps are 99.7% Accurate

Monday, October 18th, 2021 -- 10:01 AM

(Raymond Neupert, WRN) The head of the state bureau of Weights and Measures says Wisconsinites can be confident that the gas they're putting into their cars is fairly measured and top quality.

Director Joe Smith says the latest data they have shows that pumps in Wisconsin are 99.7 percent accurate. "What that means is on average a gas pump is giving the consumer 0.27 teaspoons over what it should be every single time."

Smith says gas pumps get checked about once every 18 months, and inspectors aren't just looking at how much gas you get. "A missed delivery, water in a storage tank, those are all tests and screenings that inspection staff complete during those inspections at the station."

Smith says one important test they do is to judge the grade and purity of gasoline in storage tanks, to make sure that deliveries haven't been fouled up. "At the retail station we're collecting that data, we're analyzing the samples, and ensuring that the product is what it is represented as to the consumer."

Smith says that Wisconsin’s 99 point 7 percent pump accuracy actually means they give slightly more gas than they're supposed to.

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