Ethonal is one of the dumber government mandates. People are supposed to complain.
ATLANTA --- The number of consumer complaints about getting ripped off by inaccurate or fraudulent gas pumps has risen along with fuel prices.
Calls from consumers reporting problems at gas stations jumped to 1,053 in the first five months of this year, up 65 percent from the same period in 2007, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture, which inspects and certifies gas pumps for accurate calibration and dispensing.
Complaints run the gamut, from allegations that gas has been watered down or is the wrong octane to being shorted at the pump. But of all the complaints lodged with the department -- 1,415 in 2007 -- fuel and measures inspectors found that only 5 percent were valid, and 70 percent of inspections continue to reveal that pumps are giving customers more than they paid for, according to spokesman Yao Seidu.
Ethanol might be behind some complaints, said Jim Tudor, president of the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores, a trade group representing about 2,200 stores.
"Most consumers don't realize you get less gas mileage with an ethanol product," he said, noting more stations have begun using ethanol blends in the past year.
Comments
Ethonal is one of the dumber government mandates. People are supposed to complain.
Ok, my car normally gets 26 mpg, but with ethanol it only gets 22 mpg. Now with an 8 cents per gallon savings on a tank of 12 gallons I've saved 96 cents filling up with ethanol but at the current government mileage rate I am behind by $2.41. Now if I remember my math right that ethanol gasoline is costing me $1.45 more per tank of gas than regular gasoline! Whodathunkit?
Ethanol is the largest waste of natural resources and consumer dollars in our country. Thank you Al Gore & friends for pushing the use of our food and feed resources via your little movie venture so you could line your pockets. There are no dollars saved nor are there less barrels of oil used thanks to this senseless product, especially since it requires more resources to produce ethanol than it supposedly saves.
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