Download as PDF
Release Date: May 21, 2019
Media Contact:
Jerad Albracht, Senior Communications Specialist, 608-224-5007
MADISON – Gas prices have been on the rise in anticipation of the summer travel season, and it is natural to wonder if you are getting your money’s worth when the numbers at the pump start to climb. Thankfully there is a way to be confident in the accuracy of your transaction: look for a blue Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) inspection sticker on the pump when you fill up your tank. That sticker is your sign that the pump has been tested and found to be accurate by the agency’s weights and measures inspectors.
DATCP checks gas pumps statewide to ensure that consumers are getting the appropriate amount of fuel for their money, and our annual inspection numbers show that Wisconsin businesses take that responsibility seriously. Last year, DATCP inspectors tested 45,192 grades of fuel at pumps statewide. Consumers received either the accurate amount of fuel or extra fuel 99.7 percent of the time in these tests.
When checking fuel pumps, DATCP inspectors and city sealers test for accuracy, check for tampering and credit card skimmer devices, look for leaks, verify posted price signs, test fuel quality, and ensure that the customer displays are working and are accurate.
In addition to looking for a DATCP sticker or a city seal, there are other ways to ensure an accurate transaction at the pump:
Check the price per gallon on the pump to ensure that it matches the street sign.
Verify that the price display reads zero before opening the nozzle.
Check the total price after filling up to ensure that it computed properly.
Tell the store management immediately if there is a problem at the pump. If you wish to file a weights and measures complaint with DATCP, send an e-mail to datcpweightsandmeasures@wi.gov or call 608-224-4942.
DATCP provides inspection services at retail outlets and gas stations in cities and rural areas that do not have their own weights and measures inspection programs. At every pump in Wisconsin, you should find either a DATCP sticker or a seal from the local weights and measures department.
So if you fill up in Wisconsin before you hit the highway this weekend, keep an eye out for that blue sticker so you can focus on the road…not your wallet.
Connect with us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/wiconsumer or Twitter:
@wiconsumer.
###