Fines of up to $222,000 per offence could be handed out to servos found to be overcharging customers for petrol and diesel.
Petrol stations that underdeliver fuel to customers could be fined up to $222,000 per offence in a nationwide crackdown amid rising prices and short supply.
The National Measurement Institute (NMI) – a government entity intended to ensure Australians get the quantity of a product they've paid for – has already begun auditing up to 350 service stations around Australia, targeting new businesses and repeat offenders.
Under scrutiny in its work – which will continue until the end of the week – will be whether bowsers are delivering the correct volume of petrol or diesel as advertised, in line with the national standard.
There is a margin of error allowed, plus or minus 0.3 per cent, but the NMI will also scrutinise staff training records, maintenance of bowsers, and calibration of machines.
According to the NMI, more than 1800 pumps have been inspected in the last five years, with 9.7 per cent – or around 175 – to be “genuine breaches”.
“Most of the problems found in previous fuel audit programs have been small or technical mistakes,” the NMI said in a media release.
“When businesses learn about issues, they usually fix them quickly.”
In addition to the auditing, the NMI will also collect fuel samples to ensure the quality is in line with standards.
A provisional report will be released after the latest round of auditing is completed on 27 March, while a full version is expected to be made available from July.
Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
