Industry thwarting efforts to keep fuel pumps honest

Unadjusted dispensers costing consumers about $2.3 billion a year

OAHU, Hawaii – Its idyllic weather, pounding surf and a warm, welcoming culture help make Hawaii distinctive.

So does its gallon of gas.

The Hawaiian gallon contains nearly 234 cubic inches of fuel — about three cubic inches more than is dispensed in the rest of the United States.

The extra volume, required by state law, helps offset the hotter temperature in this tropical climate, which causes the gasoline to expand. If the gallon wasn’t temperature-adjusted, Hawaiians would receive less energy per gallon than called for under the government standard. That’s because for almost a century, gasoline and diesel have been dispensed across America at a more-condensed 231 cubic inches — based on the assumption of a fuel temperature of 60 degrees.

The larger Hawaiian gallon saves consumers in the state millions of dollars a year. But across the rest of America, consumers will lose an estimated $2.3 billion this year because of “hot” fuel. No other state adjusts for temperature fluctuations when dispensing fuel, including warm-weather states such as California, Texas and Florida, where drivers lose hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

Kansas City Star