# Buying Gas on a Cold Day **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** overheating, gasoline\ **Created:** [June 24, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922 "2007-06-24T19:21:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Raymond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c57346/32.png) [@Raymond](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Raymond)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/1 "2007-06-24T19:21:19Z")
Some interesting facts regarding gasoline expansion with temperature: 25 gal of gasoline at 30?F expands to 26 gal at 90?F. (It expands 1% for every 15?F rise in temperature. In the U.S. gas is sold by oil companies to wholesalers in units called “US Petroleum Gallons,” which is defined as 231 cu. in. of volume at 60?F.(Meters on fuel tanker pumps are temperature compensated.) In the U.S. gas is sold retail at gas stations in units called “US Standard Gallons,” which is defined as 231 cu. in. of volume regardless of temperature. In Canada meters at gas stations are temperature compensated, so that a liter of Canadian gas is only a true liter (1000 cu. cm.) at about 15?C. If one buys gas in Canada on a day when the temperature falls below 15?C, the actual gas volume delivered by the pump is reduced. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/2 "2007-06-24T21:06:53Z")
In California many gas stations run the gasoline through piping mazes in the roofs of the canopies over the pumps to warm it from the temperature of the subterranean tanks. The STATED reason is that when the cold gasoling warms up in the tanks of the cars it will outgas and cause air pollution. That might be the case if the car just sat there and didn’t burn up gasoline driving away. I have noticed that most cars do leave the gas stations. ---
**Author:** ![Raymond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c57346/32.png) [@Raymond](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Raymond)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 9:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/3 "2007-06-24T21:42:42Z")
> In California many gas stations run the gasoline through piping mazes in the roofs of the canopies over the pumps to warm it from the temperature of the subterranean tanks. The STATED reason is … > So you think the gas stations are doing a little ‘pre-warming’ for the sake of the environment? What a noble idea! Or perhaps it is to ‘lighten-up’ the weight a car has to carry after leaving the gas station? Don’t think this does not add up to big $$$: [Hot Gas Costs …](http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/06/BUG9DOFRGT1.DTL) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/4 "2007-06-25T19:25:18Z")
Temperature compensation for fuel) is a tremendous windfall for fuel dealers across the country, in the amount of millions of dollars annually. I am a Metrologist [one of the weights and measures guys) and we set the measures which compare the volume of gas sold at the pumps. Fuels nationwide are measured to be sold at 60 degrees F [except in Hawaii which is at 85F]. Meters at the gas station are not temperature compensated. When the ambient temperature is above 60 degrees, you get less fuel (thus less BTU’s) for you money, of the “expanded” fuel in the dealers tank is sold until it is gone. If they buy 1000 gallons, they are selling through the meter, much more. This is based simply on the cubical coefficient of expansion. Most states have an average temperature of more then 60 degrees F, including us in Maine in the summer time. Of course, in the winter, this situation is reversed, but in terms of degree days, we are the minority. Fuel producers and dealers have resisted temperature compensation of fuels for many years. It is funny the in Canada they embrace it, and temperature compensated meters are at every gas station in the country. Also, your concept of selling fuel by weight would be rather difficult owing to the weight of proprietary additives in most fuels. Your answer about the small amount of fuel lost is kind of like the old saying “I lose a little on every transaction–but I make it up in volume!” George O’Connor ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 8:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/5 "2007-06-25T20:00:35Z")
I heard Tom and Ray answer a question from a > listener in Chapel Hill, NC regarding a bet > he had on whether to fill out his gas tank in > the cooler morning/evening as opposed to the > midday. Their answer was that it was true > that the cooler temps increased the density > of the gas in the tank, but that the increase > was too small to really matter. I think the > answer was only half right. I agree > that the density does increase as temps cool > down, but it can make a sizable difference > when we factor in geography and scale. > Certainly in the cool air of Chapel Hill or > in the Frozen North of Boston it will not > matter much. But here in Lost Wages, Nevada > and other places around the country where it > is hot and hotter all year round, when you > consider the 30 degree temp. range in a > single day along with the fact that there are > hundreds of gas stations and millions of > drivers in these areas and the gas tanks at > stations are not too far below our ground > with its already warm mean ground temp, > having everyone fill out their tanks in the > early morning or evening will have an effect. > Newscasters here Lost Wages regularly remind > listeners in the summer when we get into 3 > digit tempts to do just that. > What might be insignificant at > a personal level becomes significant when > scaled up to the social level. > Geoffrey Frasz, Las Vegas, NV ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 8:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/6 "2007-06-25T20:21:12Z")
Aloha,In Hawaii,state law requires our gallon of gas to be 1% greater volume due to the higher average ambient temp.80 VS. 60 degrees on the mainland.Just another advantage of living in Paradise.OK,I gotta go surfing.Maholo Lopaka Honolulu ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/7 "2007-06-25T20:45:26Z")
It’s not just increased demand that sends summertime gasoline prices soaring. It’s also the increased temperature. As the temperature rises, liquid gasoline expands and the amount of energy in each gallon drops. Since gas is priced at a 60-degree standard and gas pumps don’t adjust for any temperature changes, motorists often get less bang for their buck in warmer weather. Consumer watchdog groups warn that the temperature hike could cost consumers between 3 and 9 cents a gallon at the pump. The effect could cost U.S. drivers more than $1.5 billion in the summertime ? including $70 million to drivers in Arizona alone, according to the House Subcommittee on Domestic Policy, which recently addressed it in hearings. The committee’s chair, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, has long been an advocate on the issue and has new clout as a member of the congressional majority. Gas retailers say forcing stations to adjust their pumps would be too costly, and they asked Kucinich to call off the hearings and wait for more studies. The issue has driven trial lawyers to file as many as 20 federal lawsuits accusing retailers of using simple physics to take advantage of consumers. Challenges have been filed in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Kansas, Missouri and New Jersey, among other states, and some are seeking class-action status. The latest lawsuit, filed last week in federal District Court in Georgia, claims that distributors have been “unjustly enriched” by tens of millions of dollars. They did so by paying taxes on the fuel based on the colder industry standard but pocketing the taxes collected from customers when the temperature soars, it alleged. The “hot fuel” effect is a matter of simple physics. Almost a century ago, the industry and regulators agreed to define a gallon of gasoline as 231 cubic inches at 60 degrees. But as the mercury rises and gasoline expands, it takes more than a gallon of gas to produce the same amount of energy. The opposite is true when gasoline contracts in colder weather. U.S. gas retailers ignore the temperature swings and always dispense fuel as if it’s 60 degrees. As a result, gas is an average of about 5 degrees warmer than the federal standard, according to a study analyzed by Dick Suiter of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the average U.S. temperature in May was 63 degrees; average for all of 2006 was 55 degrees. But drivers fare worst in Southern and Western states where the temperatures are the most consistently warm. The average temperature in Tucson in May was 78 degrees. Increased demand also sends gas prices higher during the peak summer travel season, so the effect of paying more for less in the warmer months is more pronounced. The impact isn’t lost upon Carl Rittenhouse, a carpet worker from the north Georgia town of Chatsworth. “You can tell the difference between the time you fill up in the morning or night, or if you fill up in the middle of the day,” said Rittenhouse, who joined one of the lawsuits. “All you have to do is look at the fumes.” Lawmakers join discussion The debate is now reaching Washington. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., recently urged California lawmakers to take action. And Kucinich earlier this month called a hearing on the issue, calling it “Big Oil’s double standard.” “People are paying for gasoline they’re not getting,” said Kucinich, who is running for president. Lawmakers don’t have to look far for possible solutions. In frigid Canada, where cold temperatures were giving consumers an edge, many gas stations voluntarily backed a program to add pumps that automatically adjust volumes based on temperature. During the energy crisis in the 1970s, tropical Hawaii decided to set a base fuel temperature of 80 degrees, meaning that consumers there get more bang for their buck because retailers now dispense 234 cubic inches of gas per gallon rather than 231. The federal government is considering a similar change as well. The National Conference on Weights and Measures is to vote in July on whether to allow temperature regulation by retailers. The upcoming decision is worrying some fuel distributors, who say the new equipment could force some independent dealers out of business. NATSO, a trade group representing truck stop owners, estimates that each retrofitted pump could cost between $1,500 to $3,800. “The average truck stop has 20 pumps,” said Mindy Long, a spokeswoman for the group. “The burden on them would be phenomenal.” NATSO and other gas retailers have formed a group called PUMP ? the Partnership for Uniform Marketing Practices ? which is calling for more studies on the issue before taking any action. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/8 "2007-06-25T21:04:20Z")
Well,I feel so much better knowing Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio is on it!!! ---
**Author:** ![Raymond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c57346/32.png) [@Raymond](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Raymond)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 11:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/9 "2007-06-25T23:29:11Z")
quote: > [Lack of] temperature compensation for fuel is a tremendous windfall for fuel dealers across the country, in the amount of millions of dollars annually … > I could not agree more with your entire post. I’m glad I started this thread. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 1:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/10 "2007-06-26T01:25:41Z")
Listening to your answer to the caller about pumping gasoline at a lower temperature to get more carbon for your buck reminded me that I had just read an article I just read last week (I believe it was in the Wall Street Journal). It seems that the pumps are calibrated to deliver one gallon at 60 degrees F. The feds are considering requiring all pumps to be modified to compensate for temperature variations. I don’t recall the differences they calculated, but they were fairly small. I don’t suppose the volume coefficient of expansion of gasoline is a very large number. Of course, the cost of retrofitting the pumps is fairly high and the small gas stations are saying they could not afford to do this. Your government at work. Someone there doesn’t have much to do. ---
**Author:** ![Raymond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c57346/32.png) [@Raymond](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Raymond)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 2:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/11 "2007-06-26T02:50:16Z")
quote: > [i]The feds are considering requiring all pumps to be modified to compensate for temperature variations. I don’t recall the differences they calculated, but they were fairly small. I don’t suppose the volume coefficient of expansion of gasoline is a very large number. Of course, the cost of retrofitting the pumps is fairly high and the small gas stations are saying they could not afford to do this. Your government at work. Someone there doesn’t have much to do.[/i] A car with a 20 gal tank that gets 25 mpg with gasoline at 60?F will get 490 miles per fill-up with 90?F gasoline and 510 miles with 30?F gasoline. That is the difference. It’s not small given the total number of cars. The volumetric coefficient of expansion of gasoline is 1% per 15?F. Give a toot if there is anything else you would like to know. The small gas stations in Canada decided they could afford the cost of retrofitting their pumps when they saw how much money they were losing in cold-climate Canada. All the gas stations in Canada voluntarily changed their pump meters to temperature-compensated meters at their own expense. Yes, your government at work. It’s more difficult when we have to deal with people like you. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 3:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/12 "2007-06-26T03:08:20Z")
The typical storage tank is buried 10 feet underground where there is very little temperature variation. I think you will find 60 degrees fuel temperature is a good year-round average. Most of the expansion and contraction occurs in your tank, after YOU own the fuel, not the oil company… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 7:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/13 "2007-06-26T07:46:48Z")
Don’t worry,with man made global warming it won’t matter.But,these folks would find something else to complain about. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 12:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/14 "2007-06-26T12:48:03Z")
I am providing an article under the fair use clause about the topic of Hot Gas. > Hot Gas in the News > > Is ‘hot fuel’ costing motorists? > > Lawyers, politicians argue about how weather > affects prices at the pump > > By Greg Bluestein > The Associated Press > > June 25, 2007 > > ATLANTA – It’s not just increased demand > that sends summertime gasoline prices > soaring. It’s also the increased temperature. > > As the temperature rises, liquid gasoline > expands and the amount of energy in each > gallon drops. Since gas is priced at a > 60-degree standard and gas pumps don’t adjust > for any temperature changes, motorists often > get less bang for their buck in warmer weather. > > Consumer watchdog groups warn that the > temperature hike could end up costing > consumers between 3 and 9 cents a gallon at > the pump – adding up to hundreds of millions > of dollars each year. > > The effect could cost U.S. drivers more than > $1.5 billion in the summertime, including > $228 million to drivers in California alone, > according to the House Subcommittee on > Domestic Policy, which recently addressed it > in hearings. The committee’s chair, Rep. > Dennis J. Kucinich, D-Ohio, has long been an > advocate on the issue and has new clout as a > member of the congressional majority. > > Gas retailers oppose forcing stations to > adjust their pumps as costly, and asked > Kucinich to call off the hearings and wait > for more studies. > > The issue has driven trial lawyers to fire > off as many as 20 federal lawsuits accusing > retailers of using simple physics to take > advantage of consumers. Challenges have been > filed in Alabama, Arkansas, California, > Florida, Kansas, Missouri and New Jersey, > among other states and some are seeking > class-action status. > > The latest lawsuit, filed last week in > federal district court in Georgia, claims > that distributors have been “unjustly > enriched” by tens of millions of dollars. > They did so by paying taxes on the fuel based > on the colder industry standard but pocketing > the taxes collected from customers when the > temperature soars, it alleged. > > “I don’t believe gas retailers should collect > more in purported taxes than they pay the > government,” said Bryan Vroon, one of the > attorneys in the Georgia suit. “Gas prices > are high enough without the over-collection > of taxes.” > > The “hot fuel” effect is a matter of simple > physics. > > Almost a century ago, the industry and > regulators agreed to define a gallon of > gasoline as 231 cubic inches at 60 degrees. > But as the mercury rises and gasoline > expands, it takes more than a gallon of gas > to produce the same amount of energy as a > regular gallon in colder weather. > > U.S. gas retailers ignore the temperature > swings and always dispense fuel as if it’s 60 > degrees. As a result, gas is an average of > about five degrees warmer than the federal > standard, according to a study analyzed by > Dick Suiter of the National Institute of > Standards and Technology. But it’s worst in > southern and western states where the > temperatures are the most consistently warm. > > According to the National Oceanic and > Atmospheric Administration the average U.S. > temperature in May was 63 degrees; average > for all of 2006 was 55 degrees. > > The impact isn’t lost upon Carl Rittenhouse, > a carpet worker from the north Georgia town > of Chatsworth. > > “You can tell the difference between the time > you fill up in the morning or night, or if > you fill up in the middle of the day,” said > Rittenhouse, who joined one of the lawsuits. > “All you have to do is look at the fumes.” > > The debate is now reaching Washington. > > Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., recently urged > California lawmakers to take action. And Rep. > Kucinich earlier this month called a hearing > on the issue, calling it “Big Oil’s double > standard.” > > “People are paying for gasoline they’re not > getting,” said Kucinich, who is running for > president. > > Lawmakers don’t have to look very far for > possible solutions. > > In frigid Canada, where cold temperatures > were giving consumers an edge, many gas > stations voluntarily backed a program to add > pumps that automatically adjust volumes based > on temperature. > > During the energy crisis in the 1970s, > tropical Hawaii decided to set a base fuel > temperature of 80 degrees, meaning that > consumers there get more bang for their buck > because retailers now dispense 234 cubic > inches of gas per gallon rather than 231. > > The federal government is considering a > similar change as well. The National > Conference on Weights and Measures is to vote > in July on whether to allow temperature > regulation by retailers. > > The upcoming decision is worrying some fuel > distributors, who say the new equipment could > force some independent dealers out of > business. NATSO, a trade group representing > truck stop owners, estimates that each > retrofitted pump could cost between $1,500 to > $3,800. > > “The average truck stop has 20 pumps,” said > Mindy Long, a spokeswoman for the group. “The > burden on them would be phenomenal.” > > NATSO and other gas retailers have formed a > group called PUMP – the Partnership for > Uniform Marketing Practices – which is > calling for more studies on the issue before > taking any action. > > They have a powerful ally in Rep. Bart > Gordon, the Tennessee Democrat who chairs the > House Committee on Science and Technology. In > a May letter to the National Academy of > Sciences, he suggested the idea of > retrofitting pumps may be “premature.” > > The trucking companies and motorists behind > the lawsuits hope they could force > politicians to act quicker. > > “You’re not getting as much as what you’re > paying for, really,” said Rittenhouse, the > north Georgia motorist. “Most folks don’t > have a clue. But it’s costing them.” > > Copyright ? 2007, The Associated Press ---
**Author:** ![Raymond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c57346/32.png) [@Raymond](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Raymond)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/15 "2007-06-26T18:00:18Z")
quote (by Caddyman): > The typical storage tank is buried 10 feet underground where there is very little temperature variation. I think you will find 60 degrees fuel temperature is a good year-round average. > Caddyman, you are absolutely WRONG !!! Large gas stations monitor the gasoline temperature in their tanks in order to correct their volume measurements when testing for tank leakage. The results are printed out on a little slip of paper which looks like a gasoline receipt. Here is one: [Tank Status Report](http://media.kansascity.com/images/business/hot_fuel/receipt.pdf) You will see that the temperatures in the two tanks are 82.5?F and 82.4?F, and not the 60?F year-round average as you erroneously claim. Also notice that the total measured tank volume is 33,683 gallons while the temperature corrected tank volume is 33,343 gallons, or a difference of 340 gallons. Those 340 gallons are “heat-created” gallons that the station got for free; only the consumer is paying for it. quote (by Caddyman): > Most of the expansion and contraction occurs in your tank, after YOU own the fuel, not the oil company… > Yeah, sure … tell me about it. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 1:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/16 "2007-06-27T13:55:20Z")
Where in the world is there a buried tank that sees 82 deg F? Nowhere I have ever lived. My basement is a consistently lower temp than 82 deg ( more like 60 deg F) due to the relatively constant temp underground. This is the reason why heat pumps work in so many areas of the country. For the vast majority of the continental US, a tank buried up to 10 ft underground isn’t going to be 82 deg F. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 3:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/17 "2007-06-27T15:35:45Z")
At any rate, the difference in fuel bought between cool mornings and hot afternoons (especially at stations with above ground storage!) amounts to far more than the 1/10 of a cent that was jokingly thrown out as the “gain” on the show… ---
**Author:** ![Raymond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c57346/32.png) [@Raymond](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Raymond)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 9:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/18 "2007-06-27T21:21:31Z")
quote (by anonymous ?) > Where in the world is there a buried tank that sees 82 deg F? Nowhere I have ever lived. My basement is a consistently lower temp than 82 deg ( more like 60 deg F) due to the relatively constant temp underground. This is the reason why heat pumps work in so many areas of the country. For the vast majority of the continental US, a tank buried up to 10 ft underground isn’t going to be 82 deg F. > First of all, I don’t know why I bother to respond to a post by someone who calls themselves Anonymous. Do you have a name, or are you a member of the Federal Witless Protection program? Those gas tanks are doubled lined fiberglass with an air space between fiberglass layers. I don’t want to compute the R-factor of the walls (at least not for you), but the R-factor is high. The tanks are filled with gasoline at air temperature the day the gasoline is delivered. Think about it: Hot delivered gasoline, large volume of gasoline, high R-factor of double fiberglass storage walls = low rate of heat outflow into surrounding ground. Get a Fluke Meter with a heat probe and actually measure the temperature of gasoline as it comes out of the underground storage tanks. Real data. I have witnessed it. I don’t want to hear anecdotal stories about the temperature in your basement. Do you really think I fabricated that temperature receipt from a truckers’ stop near Kansas City which I posted above? Temps of 82?F in the tanks? Nice to hear from you again, Anonymous. I’ll post a reply if you ever come back again with a real name. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 3:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/19 "2007-06-28T03:07:04Z")
In Russia vodka is sold in grams instead of in mililitres. I suppose it’s to prevent people from thinking they are getting ripped off for the reasons you cite. Drinking is serious business in Russia like driving is in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 4:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922/20 "2007-06-28T04:13:32Z")
I said “average”. In January, the station owner, if different from the company who refined the fuel, will be “short” those same gallons as the liquid temperature slips below 60 degrees. Over say a two year period, the volume measurement equals out and 60 degrees will be very close to the actual average temperature. I suspect fuel dispensers in the near future will automatically compensate volume for temperature and tankwagon loads will be temperature corrected too… [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buying-gas-on-a-cold-day/922.md?page=2)