Gas Pump Verification

What does this mean for trade and the consumer?

Under the Metrology Act, all measuring devices used in trade have to be verified by the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards on a regular basis. It is therefore part of the Bureau’s mandate to test the accuracy of petrol dispensing units, in an effort to ensure that the volumes dispensed by these pumps are accurate and comply with the tolerance levels of (± 0.5%) stipulated in the Metrology Regulations. This tolerance level actually means that the level of accuracy pump is allowed to deliver no more or no less than point five percent

Over the last few months the Metrology Officers of the Bureau have been visiting all gas stations on the island undertaking verification. There is uniformity in the procedures used to verify the pumps which means all gas stations are inspected in exactly the same way. As one local gas dealer put it “this is a valuable service which helps to create fairness and even-handed regulation of the marketplace”.

The Bureau’s ability to effectively carry out this process is being made possible through grant funds from the officer of Private Sector Relations (OPSR). These funds have made it possible for the Bureau to procure such equipment as, test measures the standard used to determine the accuracy of the pump, wire seals and verification labels. These pieces of equipment and materials are used internationally for such procedures.

Once the gas pump has been verified by the Bureau, a verification label or sticker is used to indicate whether the device is functioning as expected and is accurate. The labels are colour-coded in green and red. A green stickers means that the gas pump conforms with the requirements of the Metrology Act and Regulations. Devices which on verification are found not to conform will be “rejected” and red stickers will be affixed to these items.

To maintain the integrity of the verification process, wire seal will placed on the pump to prevent any tampering with the adjustment mechanisms of the fuel dispensers, after verification by the Bureau’s personnel. .

Verification of the equipment means that both the interests of the consumer and supplier are protected. Consumers are assured that every time they see a green calibration sticker affixed to a fuel pump that they are getting value for money. For the supplier there is confidence when it is known that the measuring equipments used have known accuracy. The Bureau therefore serves as an effective interface between consumer protection and fair industry practices and therefore ensures “equity in trade”.

The Metrology Department of the SLBS has been verifying gas pumps from 1996 (under the Weights & Measures Ordinance) and from 2000 under the Metrology Act No. 17 of 2000. Over the years, the SLBS’s Metrology Department has acquired considerable experience in gas pump verification. In fact, Saint Lucia’s verification programme for gas pumps has been described as the most successful in the Eastern Caribbean.