What Happens If You Ignore This Notice On Petrol Pumps - Shell, BP & Esso
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- #petrol #infrastructure #shell #bp #esso
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Curiosity got the better of me... Surely you've noticed these signs on petrol pumps that say "minimum delivery 2 (or 5) litres?"
I'm not even 100% sure what these signs are supposed to mean so I wanted to find out what would happen if I ignored it completely. In this undercover scientific test and mission I set out to see what the result would be and how the various retailers might react if I purchased only a single litre of fuel.
On this journey of discovery, we will get to the bottom of this "mystery" and why at face value, it looks like we're forced to buy more fuel than we might need. The results were...unexpected and the reasons why these signs exist turns out to be nothing like what I thought.
The next test has to be a re-run putting fuel in fuel cans and measuring how much fuel you actually get from a litre
Yes take a jerry can so you don't embarrassed asking for 1L
I was thinking this too.
The local Weights & Measures office do this regularly, they arrive with accurate measuring containers in which to dispense a measured amount.
Fuel pump installers also have accurate measuring equipment to test new installations and carry out periodical checks for clients.
The electrical system for the pumps is also periodically tested, the results recorded and entered on a test certificate by National Inspection Council registered contractors, this I know because I've conducted these tests myself.
@@Sarge084 It’s the same in the US. Each state sends weights and measures inspectors every year to certify pumps. If it passes, they put a sticker on it.
Also happens in Australia. One litre has to be exact and the price. They also can test the fuel.
If my mum were still alive she'd have loved to have seen this as she always got stressed filling her moped up as it barely took 5 litres, meaning she had to run it to almost empty each time she filled it at the local (minimum 5 litres) petrol station. If only she'd known ❤
Your mum rode a moped? She sounds like a very fun lady. I'm sorry for your loss.
I had a 125 with a tiny tank a while back, I never cared what the pump said I was ready to tell them to take it back out if they weren't happy with me buying less 😂
This also explains why so few people drink petrol these days. Who could manage five litres?
When I owned a moped like 40 years ago, most were 2 stroke, I had to mix the oil in with the petrol, imagine the hassle of that. Get the ratio wrong and the engine could be damaged/ruined.
@@steveclark.. The East German motorcycle manufacturer MZ used to build an oil measure into the underside of the fuel cap. You filled it with oil and tipped it into the tank.
I once attempted to purchase a single grape from Sainsbury's, London Colney. It wouldn't register on the cashiers scales so I ate it. Next thing she's pressed her alarm button and had security throw me out and bar me.
😅
🤣🤣
Over here in the states our pumps don't have these kinds of notices on them, so when this video popped up I was really confused at first. But in the end I learned a bunch of things! 1 - you guys have the notice, 2 - why they are there, 3 - Esso is really just Mobil, and 4 - I am insanely jealous of your "one hose for each type of fuel" design.
Esso is perhaps more accurately the same as *Exxon* with both brands being owned by the Exxon Mobil corporation which also, of course, sells under the Mobil brand.
Wait, in USA you have one hose for all kinds of fuels?
@@DanCojocaru2000 for all the unleaded octanes, yes they come out of the same hose. Diesel is its own as the nozzle is different.
@@neillthornton1149 That's so weird. How does one choose which octane to fuel with?
@@DanCojocaru2000 buttons.
This is what RUclips was made for. I've always put in minimum stated when would rather have had less, usually filling up a loan car. Now I'm going to go below minimum just for the hell of it! Many thanks.
The least amount of fuel I ever bought was $0.16. It was a rental van from a hardware store where you were required to provide a fuel receipt. Well I only drove it like 6km and this stupid rule meant the tank must have been overfilled from previous customers making a similarly short drive (gauge was past full on the meter), because the pump clicked immediately after dispensing $0.10. I tried again and had the same thing happen bringing the total to $0.16
Sure
hmm.. liquid money
Priceless!!
@@X22GJP Don't believe him, then try it yourself. It DOES work. I've done it too, you CAN fill your tank past the 'FULL' mark.
@@PeterMaddison2483 Yep! My work car goes to about 105% on the dial, covers my drive back from the pumps
I've read that when pumps were mechanical with analogue metering, the error allowed was +/- 1.5%.
The new-fangled electric pumps when introduced were so accurate, the station could deliberately set it to cut off at -1% volume and make money. Hence the regulation was altered.
Highly doubtful because pumps are regularly spot checked both for measure and fuel quality by the local authority and HMRC Road fuel testing units.
Mechanical pumps had central meters / dials on the side of the equipment owners would record daily to cross reference with dip readings to track stock levels - from out of hour theft to leaking tanks.
Veeder-Root type systems and computers largely replaced manual reading of pump meters.
You've read wrong. Pumps are regularly spot checked by the local authority to ensure their accuracy.
@@stevecraft00 No, that's what I read. The pumps were in line with the regs, but the regs hadn't kept up with the technology.
@@suttoncoldfield9318 nevertheless, nowadays the pumps are tested annually or biannually by the local authority. They dispense 5 or 10 litres into a calibrated jug and compare the jug to the pump. Any pumps that fail out of tolerance are put out of use until an engineer can come and calibrate the pump. The dispensed fuel is tipped back into the tanks and the cashier processes it as a tank return to keep the ullage accurate.
@@stevecraft00 Is good to know.
I ran out of petrol once on my scooter on the M4 and had to push it to the Chiswick roundabout petrol station. All I had on me was 5p. I had to go in and tell the guy first and he let me have 10p worth of petrol. It got me back to Acton about 4 miles up the Road 😎 this was about 1983 but 10p of petrol still wasn't much. 😁
When i had my first car in 1989, i wad quite skint and always put £1 a time in. I remember the price being£1.99 agallon, so rpughly 35p a litre
Passed November 71 33p a gallon…
I used to put 50p in my Honda ss50 and lasted me a week in 1983.
Imagine going in to a petrol station today and saying I’m out of petrol and I only got £1 . The cashier is likely to say sod off rather than say I will let you have £2 just to get you home
Lol 😆 😂
On two of the pumps the price was 169.9p/litre. You filled a litre but were charged £1.70 or 170p. This means you were overcharged by 0.1p.
He was “overcharged” on them all because of rounding up to the nearest penny (the smallest amount that you can be charged)…now you can think about the average rounding up that happens and see what extra profit is made….if he had filled 3 litres he’d have been overcharged more… 0.3 pence…but would 7 litres round up or down…??? Is it in favour of the customer or “the man”? This sounds like a new test for Jon!
Dang it bro, that 0.1p is gonna be financiallly ruining.
@@davedoohan2732 Then why do they even state XX.999 if they just round up anyways? Is it legal?
@@Boomchacle because that becomes £16.99 at 10 liters, it's only an issue on certain numbers.
@@SINDRIKARL1 What about the tenth of a cent that you don't actually see on the display? What prevents them from rounding it up to a whole cent every time? Out of millions liters that probably adds up.
Always figured the minimum delivery was about minimum calibrated volumes the pump could deal with.
That does in fact seem to be the case.
If it had been something related to payment fees (other option) it would have mentioned minimum payment amount.
it'a likely due to the left over fuel in the hose thats already gone through the flow meter. The real test would be to see if you get charged one littre, but actually get say 1.2 litres.
This is why I love RUclips, this is the kind of random bit of info that I’ve always wondered in the back of my head but never bothered to find an answer for. Cheers John for finding us the answer!
The first half of this video is massively anxiety inducing but the second half brings it home with some genuinely interesting petrol pump trivia, thank you very much sir!
Grow up
@@japtasticify u first
Seemed a bit unnecessary, Colin
:(((((((((((((
Get some help if this makes you anxious
@@redboyjan no u get some help
In the “olden days” of 1979-80 I was a petrol pump attendant filing up drivers’ tanks for them. We knew the pre-digital pumps were woefully inaccurate so my mate and I just used to fill our own cars up once a week entirely free. What a perk - free petrol during the second energy crisis!
The energy crisis was in the 70s not 79 or 80s. Also I was a gilbarco service engineer. Pre-digital pumps were very accurate. We did the calibration at every service. Not to mention. weights and measures (as known back then) would do random tests throughout the year at various stations. It states minimum sale because it becomes more accurate after that amount. Unfortunately it would only be a drip or two short.
Yeah, non story!
I tried to fill the tank on my car and the pump kept cutting out, after cutting out some 15 or 20 times and still only having 1/2 litre I went in and paid! 🤷♂️
@@grahamstretch6863 clicking off is a deliberate feature to prevent vapour in your tank that’s being displaced as you fill up from being returned to the forecourt tanks.
Fuel vapour condensates are recovered during fuel tanker deliveries and returned to depot where there reprocessed back into new fuel.
Petrol companies don’t want cross contamination from your tank to their tank.
You can solve the problem by tilting the nozzle higher and pulling the nozzle out slightly so your vapours can escape from around the sides
@@grahamstretch6863 so you didn't get home?!?!... What have you done? Next garage, perhaps????
@@jaasimoes7
I drove a couple of miles and put in some lower grade, then drove the distance to the next place selling super unleaded! If I’d been desperate I’d have joined the queue for a different pump at the same station! 🤷♂️
My car doesn’t run well on less than 99 octane (UK) as it was designed in the 60s for 5 star! Yes I know I could adjust everything for lower octane, but changing the calibration on early Petrol Injection to deal with regular unleaded is harder than finding 99 octane and putting up with an unhappy engine if I have to use 97 or 95 octane!
My first motorcycle had a 3.7 litre tank - if I was filling up a half-full tank ahead of a long run, this happened all the time and I often wondered what the point of these signs were! (Never had an issue)
So, serious question -
Does the average British guy just not deal with mowing the lawn and stuff? Here, virtually household has a small 2 gallon gas can for their 2 stroke equipment alongside a 5 gallon can for their 4 stroke equipment.
@@ColonelSandersLite I've only ever needed electric garden tools 😄 though when I have occasional need to fill a Jerry can, I've done it at same time as filling the car/bike
@@AdamHougham I guess it's true that you guys generally have smaller yards than we have here. At least in the midwestern US. Electric tools just generally don't cut it here.
I used to have an electric weedeater. My gas one died and an acquaintance was just willing to give me the electric for free. Suffered with the thing for years until the battery finally quit.
Ya, know... Because I'm hard headed and it was free dammit.
Damned thing always ran out of juice before I could get the job finished. Had a pretty small yard by American standards at the time too.
@@ColonelSandersLite 2 US gallons is about 7.5 litres, so wouldn't be a problem. The most common jerry cans in the UK are 5 litre plastic ones.
@@ColonelSandersLite As someone who uses petrol power equipment for gardening, and farting about in general with small generators, I have two 5 Litre cans for my petroleum, and for the two-stinks, I just mix it up as and when needed in a little 1 Litre thing I had left over from using up isopropyl alcohol (cleaning stuff), two-stink fuel mixed up in advance tends to go sour sooner, especially if not stabilised with something due to the ethanol content ruining fuels and fuel systems...
Very interesting video. I'm pretty sure this is the first time anyone has bothered to find out the definitive reason behind that note on the pumps. It would have made more sense if they had used different wording on the notice, but then it would start off the conspiracy rumours about pumps giving you less fuel than you paid for. Top work John.
I'm betting on the fact that the credit and debit fees are beginning to effect the merchants cost of receiving payment. In the states, almost every shop states these are cash prices. If you pay electronically, you get banged 4 to 6% more. I'm not convinced on the metering estimate line either. I believe that they need to pass a threshold to make the sale worth it. In the states, there are government agencies dedicated to weight and measurements who test octane and proper dispensing accuracy. There are no minimums over here for petrol purchase, but many small businesses have it with electronic payments. This was a very interesting topic nonetheless.
I don’t really understand the conspiracy about pumps not dispensing what they say they are. Some, or even most people, know how much fuel they’re putting in whether that’s in a 5 gallon gas can or you have a 15 gal fuel tank on your car…
@@Fetidaf I take it you didn't watch/understand the video, have another watch of it all the way through.
@@jonnyroberts225 I did and I did, the video has nothing to do with a conspiracy about how fuel pumps are wrong so gas companies can make more money.
Like a lot of my fellow viewers, my first motor vehicle was a scooter with a tank less than 2L, so I knew you could fill with less than the stated amount on the pump - and since I wasn't fussed about whether it was an accurate measure, just about filling my tank, it didn't really make much difference to me either way. Filling the tank to the top for about £2 every two weeks got me everywhere I wanted to get to without a problem, so I wasn't even fussed about the quantity, I just set aside £4 a month for fuel.
bwoah imagine that
£4 a month, ahh the good old days.
yea i have the same experience , drove a moped that had a tank that tok 3,75l so i was always filling less the 3l
I didn't get away with that on my Suzuki TS50ER........in 1982😂
I used to go through about 4litres a day on my 1997 Piaggio Typhoon 125cc 2T... I would max throttle and brake hard most of the time (teenage hooligan). Maybe 50 miles or so per day most days.
I probably went through more 2T oil than you used in petrol, did you do many miles? Or was your bike extremely economical?
Glad you covered the difference between 2L and 5L with the flow rates 👍
And for those wondering why certain garage pumps keep shutting off half way through filling up? Have a look at the minimum delivery dispense level. Chances are it is 5L and the pump is too fast for the vehicle
I'm glad you brought up this subject.
Steve Mould did a good explainer earlier this year/end of last year on how pumps 'know' the tank is full, so this would make perfect sense...
@@garethaethwy It is a good watch that video and very good at explaining how simple engineering can solve a complex problem
I always thought it cuts off at either 2 or 5litres room left in your tank, majority of the fuel stations where I live are all 2litres & iv always been able to fit another 2litres (2& a half before it pisses out) but iv been stood corrected with this video 😂
@@maybenot6075 nah, it’s air pressure coming out of the tank as fuel replaces air, watch Steve’s video
I always understood the reason for the minimum delivery was to do with pump accuracy - I can remember when it was 4 pints (expressed as ½ gallon of course). I actually had a 100ml delivery once due to an issue with the pump.
thats my understanding also
Indeed, that is the case.
@@markauckland666 Yup. That's what I thought, until... One day... I watched this video which confirmed my opinion and is therefore gospel. Isn't confirmation bias a wonderful thing? [insert smiley emoticon here]
@@SteveBrace I concur 100%
I was going to add that comment as well but you beat me to it. 👍🏻Variability is going to worst during initial delivery particularly if there’s some air in the pipe. Btw. What is the acceptable +/-% variability on the minimum volume?
Thanks for the reassurance that you can buy less that 5l at shell. I always fill my car locally before a long journey and I've been so worried what would happen if I could only get 4.7 l in one time . Now I have one less thing to worry about!!
I haven't been less shocked that someone drives a Saab in a long time. Top work, keep flying
I love this hard-hitting journalism. So much time and money wasted. I genuinely love it.
This really does rekindle some old memories of when my folks had a filling station back in the seventies and we would receive visits occasionally from the people from weights and measures to test the accuracy of our pumps back when they were fully mechanical. They used to come with a range of measuring vessels to check the pumps over a range of volumes
THAT is what the internet was invented for! The most educational few minutes I’ve had in a long time. Brilliant!
Thank you for your video. We have these notices on most of the fuel pumps in Hungary too, I asked the person working at the gas station what they were for as I have regularly refuled my 50cc bike there that does not even have a 5 litre tank to begin with and they had no idea. I haven't had any issue purchasing 3.75 litres of fuel anywhere, ever.
I can't say that I've ever lost sleep over this but on the odd occasion I happen to notice these statements I have wondered why. Thanks for the explanation. I hope I don't get nightmares about minimum fuel deliveries tonight, such as visiting an Esso petrol station, putting one litre of unleaded in my car then getting attacked by a massive tiger!
Steer clear of Frosties for your breakfast then.
@@JP_TaVeryMuch The tiger is reference to an Esso marketing campaign years ago that had the catchphrase "Put a tiger in your tank". It was quite a long time ago but there again I'm an old fart!
@@markjlewis I know old timer, I'm one too! As far as memorable ads go, I'd have no hesitation in saying "They're grrrrrreat!"
When I was young pumps used to say "Minimum delivery ½ gallon", the digits were mechanical and there was a shutter over them to begin with which only disappeared when the readings passed the magic half gallon mark. My moped's tank was only just over half a gallon which meant that fitting a full half gallon in was tricky.
Happily a local garage owner had a pump with the shutters missing at the back and he was happy enough to sell me less.
BTW - it's not the absolute accuracy (+/- 0.x L) which varies for small amounts, it's the percentage accuracy. 0.1 L out on a delivery of 1 L is a 10% error, whilst on a 5 L delivery it's only a 2% error.
This man deserves a knighthood for his work
For what?? Is this a problem for 99.99% of drivers??
In the U.S. a few stations got caught cheating. For 1 gallon, or 5... or close to a whole # of gallons, it would pump correctly (to pass random tests, which pumped 1 gallon, or 5 etc). But it would cheat at like 1.2 gallons, or 3.3 gallons etc & pump less! It would speed up a certain points to make it come out correct at whole gallon amounts though.
2:53 “I wasn’t expecting prepay, I was just going to stick it in”
You answer the questions I never knew I wanted answering!! Keep them coming 😁😁😁
I always wondered whether the pump would carry on dispensing 5 litres, or if that was a minimum charge, so thanks for answering the question.
Always awkward trying to squeeze 5 litres into a can for the mower...
I think most 5 ltr cans actually hold about 5.20 lit, for the fiddle room, if you dip the nozzle down it will cut out early and I get about 4.75lt which is good enough, better than a shoe full of fuel.
Excellent pump hand, John- what speed, what precision
funniest gas station adventures ive had was rolling up in a mercedes vito with a 1000 liter tank and a 200 liter drum in the back. then after filling those i topped off the car itself. the look of the worker when seeing the pumped amount-then looking out the window seeing my small van- look at the numbers again and then at me was priceless. you could just see panic in their eyes like oh no. something got messed up XD.
uh im sorry, your transit sized van had a 1000 LITRE fuel tank?
@@lukebrommage2420 read again
Surely a complaint to Trading Standards is due. In each case you were overcharged. None of them gave you the tenth of a penny change to which you were entitled. It's always infuriated me that petrol stations can advertise a price which is impossible to pay. They must think we are fools if they believe we don't realize that 169.9p (for example) isn't actually 170p. This practice should be banned. What if all other businesses were allowed to price their wares with an odd .9 of a penny on it?
They could sort out the display of prices with the odd 0.9p by making a rule that prices with a fraction of a penny must be displayed rounded UP to the next whole penny.
Pretty sure with fractional penny prices standard rounding is allowed eg if the final price has a fractional penny
So … Next step would obviously be to fill one of those small emergency containers with one litre of fuel and then measure how much you really got.
I think Trading Standard measure to 25ltr in a big can.
Yes!
@@highpath4776 I'm sure it used to be 10 litre
@@highpath4776 At 15 degrees celcius
They are independently checked periodically and the certification should be on each pump.
My first vehicle on the road was a scooter which had a 5.5L fuel tank, and it was less than 5L to fill so I knew it wouldnt be an issue, but it was a great watch nonetheless! Thanks for sharing :)
I'm honestly quite happy that these are just suggestions and not requirements. As a motorcyclist with a smaller tank, sometimes I'm full with 3.7L when I fill up for a tour, if I had to at least fill in 5L I would have to get creative.
Thanks though for the video "documentation" of your experience
Thanks for this video - you've provided a useful service, as I for one now know garages are being deceitful by allowing (or actively encouraging) you to think the minimum is required. "Minimum 2 (or 5) litres for best volume accuracy" wouldn't deceive, or "minimum... - see notice in store for details" or "ask at the counter for full details".
Extraordinary! You’ve genuinely taught me something. I love the channel - I can’t explain why - I just do! Forget Bridgerton or Downton, this is compelling and high up on my ‘weekly must’ watch list. Keep it up 👍
Brilliant! I can now stop and fill up my Puch Maxi moped which takes the grand total of 3.7 litres and no longer have to carry around an emergency 1 litre bottle full of petrol on the back.. Seriously though I always thought I wouldn’t get served if I couldn’t buy 5l at a time so thanks for this bizarre but useful consumer advice broadcast! (I still have to carry around 2 stroke oil though..)
I used to own a blue Puch Maxi in the 70's. Great little moped!
@@davidnorman5907 Around 1970 the Puch Maxi was the best-selling moped in the UK.
I don’t know if it says more about me and the things I watch, but that was one of the most informative videos I’ve seen in ages. 😮
Ever thought you need to get out more? 😃
As someone who lives in the US hearing you say "oh i got to prepay" blows my mind, the concept of not pre paying for your gas blows my mind.
I have been filling cars since I passed my test at 17, I’m now 54 and never knew what I’ve just watched! Thank you I feel a little bit more educated 😃
Yet another video I didn’t know I needed to watch, but watched in its entirety for the comedic value! 😂
Back in the late 90's I was at the Esso at the Chiswick Roundabout, West London. The Trading Standards Weights and Measures division rocked up as a random visit.
I was in the shop paying when they announced who they were and in no uncertain terms told the cashier to switch off all the pumps immediately.
I later saw them with what looked like brass jugs etc.
I used that Esso garage a lot back in the day, and I once saw the famous athlete Daley Thompson, and once saw Tony Robinson (Baldrick from Blackadder) - he had a TVR convertible, and some builders in a van shouted...."Go on Baldrick...quality motor my son!" He waved, laughed, and gunned it up the A4!
Also back in the 90's my dad saw Paul Shane (Ted Bovis) filling up at a petrol station on the A1. A group of lads shouted across to him 'Hi De Hi Ted' and he cheerfully replied 'F**k off!'
This genuinely is a game changer. I use petrol to clean the chain on my mountain bike and never knew I could just buy 1 litre. Saves me storing 2 litres.
Why I have never thought to use petrol! Cheers for the idea 🚲
I'm glad I'm not the only one 😂
So educational!
I tend to fill by round numbers like £10 rather than by Litre since I never have a clue how many litres I need.
5L of fuel for me is 40 miles or 40 minutes of driving, roughly. That's how I do it
Mind you, nothing beats sticking in £20s worth. That'll last ages!
Fuel pumps have two cutoff points. One is on the meter and the other at the handle. If after shutting off the pump you squeeze the handle to empty the line, the next person will actually run up a cost without dispensing fuel as the hose is filled between the meter and the handle. So a 3/4 diameter fuel hose of standard 12 foot length holds about 0.27 gallons of fuel. This means you should be able to drain about one litre of petrol without turning on the pump at all and leave the next person to pay for it unless they drain the hose after turning off the pump.
I always wondered about minimum delivery when getting fuel and so glad Auto Shenanigans done this test.
Excellent video as always.
Seriously, John, you have solved a modern mystery - not a big earth-shattering one, but one which needed to be solved. For this, I thank you. Top video, by the way, and don't lose your wallet!
Come on, how do you think all the mopeds and scooters fill up?
I seen a full artic HGV pull into a regular shell once and started using a regular pump stating he was desperate as the cashier ran out shouting he cant park there or use it. After a bit of bickering about the pump possibly burning out they agreed to just 80litres max to which he completely ignored and she eventually cut the pump off on just over £350 worth and about 310 litres at the time
Don't know why they'd complain about it, unless there was a fuel shortage, or he was worried about the driver driving off without paying. I've used various supermarket filling stations in a full-size HGV; provided there's enough room to get in and out, the main problem is that most of the pumps shut off at a certain limit (often 100 litres or £100; Costco raised their limit from £100 to £120 last year due to the hike in fuel prices) so you have to go and pay before the pump can be restarted. If you then try to make multiple transactions on the same card, the bank will then typically block it due to anti-fraud.
A HGV use a big fuel tank and the normal pumps are slow for cars. So they blocked this fuel station for half hour or more. Some pumps are faster (specially at near our autobahn) but specially HGV fuel pumps put in 350l or 400l in minutes. After they need AdBlue too.
@@misterflibble9799 *multiple identical transactions in a row
I used to work in a petrol station, we got this one local nutter who'd only buy small amounts of fuel with his pocket change. We weren't paid enough to care how much they put in 😅
Maybe he wasn’t a nutter, just skint because his ex wife cleared him out of money?
@@coops1964 Divorced much Coops?👍
@@coops1964 I had to ditch him because was constantly drunk
One of the local miscreants used to come into the filling station I worked in as a kid. Drive a ratty old 2.3 diesel Sierra estate, we were still a station that would pump the fuel for you. Insisted on putting some in the tank and some in a hideously paint, grease and grime covered 5 litre fuel can. His catchphrase was "A Pound in the car and a Pound in the jar."
I used to test this on a regular basis back when I was driving a "Mofa" here in Germany (which is like a tiny motorcycle with some similarities to a bicycle, restricted to 50cc and 25 km/h BUT it was the only vehicle I could legally drive when I was 15).
The fuel capacity was 2.7 liters...
During my era of financial struggle, one evening I traded in my literal last bit of cash for some petrol. Was worried since I literally couldn't buy more, but they sold me my 4,67 liters anyway.
i love how interesting and fun you make the most mundane of things, top marks dude
I knew you could buy less than the minimum as I used to have a moped that didn't even hold 5 litres. I never knew what it was all about though, cheers for clearing it up.
I've always wondered this. Often come up with theories in my head about flow rate inaccuracies, but never bothered to find an answer since
That solves that mystery that I've only ever slightly wandered about before.
What surprises me most about this video is that you pay at a register, with an actual casheer, inside a building, for petrol.
Thanks, this one was actually useful for me! I've got an electric BMW i3, but mine is the 'Range Extender' version which has a little 600cc 2cyl BMW bike engine under the boot that charges the batteries on long trips. The thing is that it only has a 9l tank, and I've often held off brimming it before a long trip because of that 5l minimum and ending up paying rip-off motorway petrol prices. Good to know I can safely top up at the supermarket in future!
I love that you won't be conned even buying such a small amount of fuel
Good man
is it recognised as a plug in hybrid or an electric car?
@@ahyaan2552 Electric.
I think it a hanger on from the old pumps that didnt have automatic shutoff.
It also allows for inaccuracy in the flow counters. Again,possibly from the past.
John, you are hilarious. This is something I've often wondered about - but to actually do it! Thank you for suffering embarrassment and potential failure to find the answer to this crucial question.
I never imagined that an investigation into minimal delivery quantities of fuel pumps could be so entertaining. N1.
Just throwing this out there...never forget my uncle putting either 4 pence or 8 pence of unleaded into moped in late 80s or v. early 90s...we still bring this up every decade or so at family gatherings.
Welcome to the world of owning vintage mopeds with tiny fuel tanks
Love that you're driving a Saab. My dad is on his 2nd 9-5 (1st one 2004 sedan, 2nd one 2006 estate) and it's so much fun to drive. Unfortunately it's starting to have a lot of electronic failures so it probably won't last more than a couple more years.
Electronic Failures? I have a 2010 93 Aero TTiD and its great to drive.
Finally someone appreciaating saab!
@@YourBassNeeds there are more of us than you think ;)
This was far more informative than I bargained for. Nice work. It's also nice to see original content creation, even if it is a menial topic that's irrelevant to my geographic location.
Excellent video as always, as I have a 52 year old Honda C50 in my collection, this is worth knowing as it only has a 3 litre tank & it is a pain in the arse having to go in my car & fill a can with Super unleaded to then put it in the bike, from now on I'll go on the bike, good to know the minimum limits are due to regulation.
Here in the United States, our pumps don't state this minimum pump amount. But the U.S. has the same setup where the pumps are calibrated to deliver a close to the exact amount as possible.
Our gas pumps here are usually very modern and even have TVs built into them.
But here and there, it's possible to find old gas stations that still have old-time mechanical pumps. They are also calibrated. But their old design doesn't allow them to be as accurate as modern pumps. These are found on roads off the beaten path, basically. Aka... small towns and rural areas. But if they are inaccurate, then they can't be used to sell gas if they don't at least meet the minimum 0.3% calibration standard.
Now, comparing the UK to the U.S. light passenger vehicle gas pumps, pump up to about 50 liters (13 US gallons) per minute in the UK and 10 US gallons (38 liters) per minute in the U.S.
Pumps serving trucks and other large vehicles with diesel have a higher flow rate, up to 130 litres (34 US gallons) per minute in the UK and 40 US gallons (150 litres) in the US.
The standard accuracy for gasoline pumps in the U.S. is 0.3%, meaning that a 10-US-gallon purchase may actually deliver between 9.97 and 10.03 U.S. gal.
In the UK, all pumps are required to meet legal accuracy standards of between -0.5% and +1%. 🙂
I always assumed it was just "if you fill up less you'll still be billed for 2 l".
Always wondered what the outcome would be - sooner or later someone had to come along and do the science!
In the US, from my experience I have noticed that you need to buy at least 15% of a gallon based on the current price before the pump will start pumping.
Great work here. I'd love to see the same test redone, but this time dispensing the fuel into an approved container and actually measuring the dispensed amount. I wonder what the "inaccuracy" actually might be.
In Finland it just says something to the effect that the pumps calibration cannot be guaranteed for smaller amounts than 5 liters or so.
Good to know.
I’m 100% going to use this info next time I’m with a group of friends and we are fueling up
One thing you didn't try was the ability to select a delivery amount at the pump, where you can either select a set volume or cost
UK petrol stations don't typically have that option, you just dispense what you need and pay, i guess you mean like in the US where you tell the cashier you want a set amount and thats all the pump gives?
He did do that? At the BP, that was prepay only? Just that he had to awkwardly ask a cashier to select an amount, rather than buttons on the pump itself
Would be interesting what the big 4 supermarkets say/do about putting just 1 litre of fuel
You proved your point with the pump accuracy quite nicely on the Esso test. You paid £1.63 for 1 ltr of diesel when it was actually priced at £1.64.9
I'm sure that 2p saving makes all the difference in todays economy.
Pump price showed as 162.9, street sign showed 164.9. I had this happen recently, turns out the two aren’t linked and the street sign needs to be updated by pointing a remote control at it and updating the price like setting the price like setting the clock on a shit oven. Wonder if I can find the ir codes to cause havoc at the local bandit stations?
Australia doesn’t have 1c or 2c coins so you can buy $10.02 of petrol for the bargain price of $10.00 in cash.
As predicted by Shakespeare.
2p or not 2p, that is the question
It was usually a rule to prevent filling up of items to use for arson or improvised incendiary devices. I have no idea what it is for now.
I have wondered about this all my life, thank you for providing this information, my mind will be at ease next time I visit a petrol station
Another wonder no more! Thanks John for doing these things so we don't have to! Incidentally, I now fill up in liters at my local to maximise the loyalty discounts! If you know you know 😊
When I went to France with my CNG I had a hard time finding a CNG station. So I sometimes depended on my 9l Benzin tank. But minimum is 10l in France. They eventually let me go after having explained the situation. That was a relief. I don‘t know why they ask you for 10l minimum though. Seems insane to me.
8:07 was unexpectedly funny 🤣
The video's finished and I'm still laughing. Well done John (and person that was with you)!
I have a diesel heater in my car, with only a 1L tank. It has never been a problem. Same disclaimer on old grocery store scales. Minimum weight where the certified accuracy is still warranted.
That was absolutely fascinating!! In fairness to the petroleum companies, that minimum delivery notice is there to ensure that customers get what they pay for. Could it be worded better to convey that message? Yes, of course, but at least this is about being fair to the customer for once.
I also learnt what 'prepay' means in the UK. Not having lived there for 32 years, I imagined that like here in Japan you would have to buy a prepaid card at a fixed price of different increments (£10, £20, £50 etc) as we have to here in Japan. The UK system is better in terms of operation, but in Japan, the prepaid (cards) petrol stations are a LOT cheaper because of the prepaid system. Most petrol stations here though are like the last pump that John used and ones where you go into pay after filling the car being rare. I'm glad I learnt that, as I won't look like a plonker at a prepaid petrol station in the UK on a visit sometime in the future.
Prepay like that is not very common in the UK. Normally only happens when the station has suffered a lot of people driving off without paying.
Most stations in the UK you fill up then pay in the shop. Supermarkets and some other stations commonly have pay at pump. Big oil companies like BP and Shell don't really seem to have pay at pump although they both now have an app you can use to pre-pay on the app instead.
Does this mean if you try to round the amounts with those little taps that it gets superinaccurate?
Interestingly in this experiment you were overcharged by £0.001 for your litre at each of the pumps.
As most prices are something .9p then even if you buy 5ltrs you should only pay something .5p. I guess originally you could pay half a penny (when those existed), which was why there was a 5ltr minimum. Now they don’t exist, so you are bound to be over charged.
Some time ago guys did this with share dealings, and pocketing all the fractions of a penny in each trade - they made a lot of money, and I think ended up in jail.
I was just thinking the same thing 👍
That's exactly _why_ they still do the stupid nine-tenths thing. Stations know you're rarely going to be purchasing fuel in a multiple of 10, so they round up and get that extra fraction free and clear, and apparently over millions of transactions, it seriously adds up for the companies.
@@WackoMcGoose so always buy 10/20/30 whole litres and not pounds 👍
@@contactjd A bit hard for me to buy a multiple of ten because my car only has a 10-gallon tank, so I'd have to be basically running on fumes before refueling...
@@WackoMcGoose 10, 20, 30, 40 litres.
Had to do this very often in the past when I simply didn't have the money to put the minimum amount in my bike, but it was enough to get to work for the next few days. Never once had an issue.
I'm more impressed John hit the 1 litre mark exactly everytime.
I got skillz...
The main thing I would be concerned with is the bank being confused as to why you've bought 1L of fuel from 3 stations and locking out your card for "suspicious activity".
Would the bank know you've bought fuel though? You could have been on a chocolate hunt or something!
@B-A-L True I didn't even think about that because I never think to buy anything other than fuel.
FYI the 2/5 litre minimum delivery was a question on Mystery Hour last week. I always thought it was minimum sale amount to cover costs etc, turns out I was wrong!
As an American, that was my assumption too. Many gas stations used to (and some still do, and it's perfectly legal to) charge +$0.10 extra per gallon depending on the method of payment, to cover transaction fees (with the assumption that the usual fuel-up will be enough gallons of upcharge to cover the fee, see also stores requiring $10 or $20 minimum purchase if paying with not-cash). Some upcharge only on credit, some do it for both credit and debit. It _is_ supposed to be only exactly a ten-cent increase though, and only ten-cent intervals between fuel grades regardless of payment method, but a lot of stations don't obey this rule...
I had always assumed the same.
The first time I used a petrol pump I was 15. I hasten to add it was my parents’ car and I wasn’t driving it. The guy at the till enquired my age, fifteen I said with astonishing accuracy. “Well”, he said, “you’ll be receiving a summons as the minimum age for delivering petrol is sixteen”. Miserable old twat. I’m now 61 and still dread the day that the summons will drop through my letter box.
That made me burst out laughing. Well played 🤣👍
Curiosity satisfied. You were right about wasting my time and yours, but it was almost worth it for the "hose" cut scene.
'In different area codes' 😂 John that made me scald the cat with hot tea 😂😎
You should ask them if you can pay for 1ltr at the price advertised ie: 162.9 even with minimum delivery of 2 or 5 ltrs you can not pay the exact amount, the price with the .9 can only be done at 10ltrs or more in 10ltr increments etc... I just wish they would put the price straight without this .9 BS Anyhow great to see your results and will keep on watching 👍
Fun fact… Morrisons is always .7
Just think of the savings over a year with that !
This is a good idea. They wouldn't be allowed to charge you £1.63 if you only filled up with 1 litre, right?
That would be hilarious! Give them 163 and ask them where your change is...
@@SimplyUnprofessional Yes, they would - the trading standards rule is that total amounts >= 0.5p are rounded up and amounts < 0.5p are rounded down. So 1-5l would be rounded up, 6-9l would be rounded down and 10l would be exact pricing.
In Germany some petrol or gas stations use not .9, they use .4 at end. They are free stations without a brand name. Normally they are 2 till 5 €cent cheaper as they with brand names but if the price high. 😂
Great video. Next, can you tackle why there is braille on the pin keypad?
Probably because they are standard keypads - its not worth making special ones for petrol pumps.
It's for the blind
Mind blown! Never thought of that
@@thestaffordshirerailenthus5126 Why are the blind filling a car up with petrol?
I assume the keys are standard for everything from fuel pumps to lifts. It does seem odd for pumps only drivers would use - or perhaps they are anticipating driverless cars!
over the past few months i've been doing experiments on the actual MPG ive been getting on my motorbike, and sometimes i could swear that amount delivered either must be wrong (from different pumps at the same garage), or the petrol somehow has more octanes (at different garages but always labelled E10). I know it sounds crazy and unlikely but AFAIK my riding style wasn't much different between fillups or terrain/weather much different either, but the MPG can vary by as much as 35mpg (it's a 125cc). my fill up amount is usually around 7-9ltrs each time. As i said it sounds ridiculous. I'm a logical guy, & i keep all reciepts and check the figures scrupulously with mileage using the average of the GPS app and the odometer on the bike. anyone any ideas why there may be such a swing? and anyone else had a similar experience?
Iv also noticed this in my car and I think it's the petrol stations that are fiddling the pumps or mixing something in the fuel.
Coz it's only less with the franchised owned ones but not with tesco.
@@d1user having worked in a fuel station for many years no one is ever mixing things into the tanks, the underground tanks, what are you going to mix in that would be cheaper than petrol? Water would result in an investigation rather quick due to all the claims from insurance companies. As for the pumps they are verified by third parties and no ones got the time to be out there to be messing with with them just to hope you change it back before the random inspection all for the minimal amount made per liter
The difference due to the quality of the fuel, how long its been sitting in the tanks and if it's started to go off.
Lately I've been getting 47mpg from sainsbury's super unleaded and my engine stuttering when before I was getting 55 mpg. Put a tank of Esso suprieme in and my mpg has gone up to 60 within a few miles and no stuttering
@@cheeseontoastbrah have u been there every minute of the day and night to see what's going on?
@@d1user I was a manager there for 3 years so yeah I have a pretty solid idea what's going on
When we had the "fuel crisis" the car in front of us had put like £1 worth of fuel so not even a liter of fuel at the time. They probably burnt as much wait in the queue to get fuel.
in the US I haven't seen a pump before you pay station in so many years. it's either pay at the pump with card or go in and prepay with cash. those are the choices.
In hindsight I feel Jerry cans could of saved the embarrassment and also you could of measured the amount afterwards. Either way an answer to a question I’ve always asked myself so good job mate!