Here are some tips to get more of your money’s worth for every liter of petrol you pump into your gas tank:
Early Morning Fill-up
Only buy or fill up your automobile early in the morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Why? Now, note that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. Therefore, the colder the ground is, the more dense the fuel. And when it gets warmer, the petrol expands. Thus, buying your gas in the afternoon or evening will not entitle you to your actual 1 liter of fuel that’s stated on the pumping station’s meter.
In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the petrol, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps. – Anonymous
In short, temperature affects your petrol fill-up. Higher temperatures in the early morning equals slightly more fuel.
Full Strength Doesn’t Give The Most Pleasure
Note that the nozzle’s trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. When you’re filling up, try not to squeeze the trigger of the nozzle until full. Instead, try pumping on low instead, thereby minimizing the vapours that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapour return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapour. Those vapours are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you’re getting less worth for your money. Also remember not to light up any cigarettes when pumping on high.
Half Tank Beats An Almost Empty One (Duh)
One of the most important tips is to fill up when your tank is half full. The reason for this is, the more fuel you have in your tank, the less air occupying its empty space. You’d be surprised as to how fast petrol can evaporate from your tank.
Petroleum storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the petrol and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every litre is actually the exact amount. – Anonymous
So remember, try to fill up on your petrol as soon as it hits below the half-full tank mark on your fuel meter. Sure, it may not save you much, but every little bit counts towards saving money, no?
Avoid The Fuel Trucks
One last tip; if there is a fuel truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy, Do. Not. Fill. Up. The reasoning for this, is that the petrol or diesel is being stirred up as the fuel is being delivered, and you might end up taking in some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom of the storage tank.
So here’s to getting better mileage out of your automobiles. :)