By AP/KWMU
Overland, Mo. – U.S. Senate candidate Claire McCaskill says the government should require gas pumps to have temperature-sensing equipment.
Her proposal comes after the Kansas City Star reported that hot temperatures cost Americans more than $2 billion each year in gasoline.
Government standards assume gas is sold at 60 degrees. But gasoline expands as temperatures rise, which means cars get less energy out of it. That forces drivers to fill up more often.
McCaskill says new pumps should be manufactured to automatically adjust volumes to account for temperature changes, and existing pumps should be corrected over time.
She's challenging incumbent Senator Jim Talent, who says he's open to solutions to fix the hot fuel problem, as long as they don't cost consumers more than they stand to gain.