Kansas City Star: Hot fuel for you, cold cash for big oil
Kansas City Star | 08/27/2006 | Hot fuel for you, cold cash for big oil:
As a liquid, gasoline expands and contracts depending on temperature. At the 60-degree standard, the 231-cubic-inch American gallon puts out a certain amount of energy. But that same amount of gas expands to more than 235 cubic inches at 90 degrees, even though consumers still only get 231 cubic inches at the pump.
Put simply, every degree over the 60-degree standard diminishes the energy a 231-cubic-inch gallon delivers to the nation’s fleet of cars, trucks, boats, buses and heavy equipment — and forces drivers to consume more and pay more for fuel.
The industry made changes in Canada to use temperature-compensated pumps. That is because in Canada consumers were on the better end of the deal. In the United States gas is usually several degrees above the 60 degree standard. This is costing consumers more money and fattening the wallets of the oil companies.
It gets a little tricky in that Canada passed a law making it voluntary for retailers to use temperature-compensation. The retailers obviously jumped on the bandwagon. In the United States a similar law would not work as retailers with temperature-compensated pumps would be at a distinct disadvantage.