Benefits of Morning Fill-Ups an Urban Myth, Watchdog Says
According to a news release by a California nonprofit organization
called Consumer Watchdog, the idea that motorists should fill their
tanks in the morning, when gasoline in storage tanks in the ground is
coolest, is a myth.
"Many financial advice columns, presenting tips on saving gas, suggest
filling up early in the cool of the morning, since gasoline is sold by
volume and expands with heat," the organization claims. "It’s
absolutely true that U.S. drivers are shortchanged by so-called ‘hot
fuel costs’ — to the tune of over $3 billion per year, at today’s
prices.
"In southern states, in the summer, gasoline is sold at average
temperatures exceeding 80 degrees. Since gasoline expands roughly 1
percent for every 15 degrees Fahrenheit, drivers from Florida to
California are getting about 1.5 percent less than they paid for from
June through September. That amounts to more than a nickel a gallon.
"It won’t help to buy gas early in the morning, however… That’s because fuel tanks act like thermos bottles, retaining heat."
"Drivers today know that every drop of fuel counts, and they should not
have to tolerate getting less than they pay for," said Judy Dugan,
research director for Consumer Watchdog.