Fuel Under-Dispensing: PETROAN Orders Nationwide Meter Checks

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has directed its members across the country to immediately inspect their dispensing meters following concerns raised by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) over alleged under-dispensing of petrol at filling stations.

PETROAN National President, Billy Gillis-Harry, disclosed this on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme.

Gillis-Harry said the association convened an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council on Tuesday after the NMDPRA raised the issue, adding that the meeting lasted until about 10pm.

He said PETROAN subsequently circulated a directive to its members nationwide to urgently check their dispensing equipment.

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“PETRON circulated a message around the country, calling our members to check their meters as quickly as possible,” he said.

According to him, several filling station operators had already commenced inspections of their equipment, noting that faulty meters could either under-dispense or over-dispense petroleum products.

“Equipment can be faulty over time because of usage,” Gillis-Harry said, recalling that he had personally lost money in his retail business in the past because a faulty meter dispensed more fuel than customers paid for.

He assured motorists that PETROAN members would continue to ensure that customers receive the exact quantity of fuel indicated on dispensing pumps.

“But I can tell you that PETRON members will, at all times, insist on making sure that they sell their products one litre for one litre,” he said.

The PETROAN president also advised motorists to monitor the quantity displayed on dispensing meters whenever they buy fuel and insist on collecting receipts for their purchases.

He urged consumers to know the fuel-tank capacity of their vehicles and compare it with the quantity displayed on the dispensing meter.

“Oftentimes, we educate our staff to call the attention of the patron to check the meter while it is being dispensed. And also to get the customer to check after the product has been dispensed,” he said.

Gillis-Harry further disclosed that PETROAN collaborates with the Weights and Measures Division of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the NMDPRA to ensure that fuel dispensing meters remain functional, accurate and properly calibrated.

“PETRON consistently works with the Weights and Measures Division of the Ministry of Trade and Investment, and also the NMDPRA. These are the two regulatory authorities that ensure that our meters are functional. And they are up to date and accurate,” he said.

The NMDPRA had warned filling station operators against under-dispensing petroleum products, with outlets found short-changing consumers liable to regulatory sanctions, including possible revocation of their operating licences.

Gillis-Harry said PETROAN had taken the regulator’s warning seriously and commenced efforts to identify and correct possible faults among its members.

“But we took what the NMDPRA called our attention to yesterday very seriously. And we already started working on that,” he said.

The development comes amid heightened regulatory scrutiny of retail fuel stations and growing concerns over the accuracy of petroleum product measurements at filling stations nationwide.