Mar 3, 2008 11:39 pm US/Eastern
Getting Hosed at the Pump
A CBS4 I-team Investigation
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
The temperature outside continues rising and so do the record gas prices South Floridians are paying. But, this is not just a coincidence. As it turns out, you could be overpaying every time you head to the pump.
Critics say gasoline expands when exposed to heat. That makes it essentially more diluted. However, unlike in Canada where prices are adjusted because gas is denser in cold weather, South Floridians continue to pay for gas that doesn't exist.
"What happens is gas expands with temperature, but you're not getting more gas with temperature, you're getting less energy per gallon," said Miami attorney Gene Stearns. He recently won a half-a-billion dollar judgment against Exxon-Mobil over a separate issue.
"Just to put it in context, the average temperature in Florida is somewhere north of 85 degrees. That would essentially put you in the position of having about a 1.5% overcharge based on the standards of rates and measure. In other words, if gas is 3 dollars a gallon, that means the average consumer is paying about four and a half cents per gallon too much for the fuel that the average consumer is buying," Stearns continued.
Now, an independent trucking group is suing some of the country's biggest oil companies and distributors, including: Chevron, Citgo, Shell, Valero, Costco and even Circle-K. The group charges the companies in federal court with 14 counts of fraudulent and deceptive trade practices.
The industry recently moved to dismiss the case, arguing there wasn't enough scientific evidence to support it. But just a few weeks ago, a Kansas federal judge ruled against the industry and allowed the trial to continue.
Tom Kloza of the Oil Price Information Service warns changing the way gas pumps price fuel is not the real answer to our energy problems. "At the end of the day, we are talking about a thimbles' worth of fuel sometime when people are fueling up in hot temperatures and I don't think at the end of the day, it makes a difference in getting us out of the energy mess we're in," Kloza said.
Experts say the best way to get the most fuel for your money is to fill up during the coolest part of the day, which is usually in the morning.
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