The authority had to recalibrate 235 fuel pumps across the island. Photo: Chris Sant FournierA quarter of petrol pumps were caught dispensing less fuel than motorists were paying for in 2013, the consumer affairs authority said.
A total of 235 of the 940 pumps were giving motorists around 100ml less for every 20 litres purchased back in 2013, according to Francis Farrugia, who heads the authority’s Metrology Directorate.
Some were dispensing as much as 350ml less, around two per cent of every fuel top up, he added.
There is no evidence to show that the petrol pumps were tampered with.
Drivers would have been short-changed a few cents whenever they filled their tanks, but Mr Farrugia told The Sunday Times of Malta it is estimated car owners would have lost a whopping €1.1 million every year had the authority not stepped in.
“Basically, motorists would have continued paying for fuel they were not receiving,” he said. Mr Farrugia said the inspections had not uncovered any evidence of tampering, and it appeared pumps had not been properly calibrated. None of the fuel pumps was found to be dispensing more fuel than was paid for.
Car owners would have lost a whopping €1.1 million every year had the authority not stepped in
However, Mr Farrugia said action against the petrol station owners was “not necessary”. Had the pumps clearly been tampered with, station owners would have faced a fine of up to €11,000 and/or two years in prison. He said all the pumps had since been recalibrated and were dispensing within 10 ml more, or less, than the amount purchased – an acceptable amount by EU standards.
The MCCA took over responsibility for checking petrol stations two years ago using the same principles it applies when testing weighing scales in grocers, and thermometers in cold stores. It took over from Enemalta, which used to carry out the tests on behalf of the resources authority.
Questions on when Enemalta had last conducted tests and how many faults had been discovered, were not answered by the time of writing.