COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — With record-high gas prices, complaints are coming into ABC 6 On Your Side Problem Solvers about getting what you pay for at the pump.
Now, teams in Franklin County said they're also seeing an uptick in consumer concerns these last few months.
"In the last month, there's definitely been an uptick of people questioning or trying to figure out what may have happened when they went to a gas station," County Auditor Michael Stinziano told Problem Solvers. "If it is off, we will take a pump offline and make sure it is accurate."
The county has a team of eight in its Weights and Measures Department that checks nearly 4,500 pumps at least once a year. They test using the state threshold. The Ohio Department of Agriculture indicates that threshold to be six cubic inches for every five gallons. For a 16-gallon tank filling up at $4.74, that would lead to a tolerance of plus or minus of .08 gallons, which is $0.38.
"It's very important. We want our consumers, our neighbors across Franklin County, to know that they're getting the value they're paying for," Stinziano said.
In the last three months, Stinziano's inspectors identified 40 pumps to be out of tolerance which is about 2% of the fuel pumps in the county. During that same time, the Weights and Measures Department within the city of Columbus found 80 pumps to be out of tolerance. The city inspects 8,800 gas pumps a year. More often than not, inspectors find errors in the consumer's favor. That means drivers are getting a few cents more of gas per gallon.
Stinziano said his team would reinspect gas pumps once a complaint is made as well. Consumer James Mullett sent them an email last month during the power outages. He said he drove for miles to find a gas station open, and he felt that station took that opportunity to gouge prices. He could only fill up at $5.85 a gallon.
"My fuel gauge was sitting on empty, so I needed to get gas right away," Mullett told Problem Solvers. "I only got enough to help get me home. I put $25 in, and it got me four gallons. It got me back to Lancaster. Then, I had to go and gas again there."
The county inspected the gas station in Mullett's complaint within 24 hours. They found the owner had run out of regular and mid-grade fuels prior to Mullett filling up. After Mullet purchased premium, the station ran out of that too. It was all verified through the station's tracking system.
"With everything happening right now, it's great to have them come out and investigate," Mullett said.
Problem Solvers obtained lists of gas pumps that had to be reinspected in both the city and county since gas prices started to soar. Those lists can be found below:
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