Anything but 'regular'

Is economy gasoline a scam?

The federal government and most service stations define regular gasoline as 87 octane fuel, but some stations in Massachusetts insist on calling the same fuel by a different name: economy.

State and local gas station inspectors say the economy grade confuses many consumers, who end up paying more for their gasoline because they mistakenly order regular, which at most of these stations is a higher-priced 88 octane fuel.

The price difference can be substantial. At three stations along Dorchester Avenue last Wednesday, the difference between the 87 octane economy grade and the 88 octane regular grade was 15 to 26 cents a gallon.

A Gibbs station was charging $2.37 for economy and $2.56 for regular. A Mutual station a few blocks away was charging $2.40 for economy and $2.66 for regular. Tony's Auto and Cycle Center close to Fields Corner was charging $2.74 for economy and $2.89 for regular.

Inspectors say the economy grade is not a big problem at a self-service station where the consumer has to press a button selecting the type of gasoline he wants. But at a full-service station, where an attendant takes the customer's order, inspectors say the opportunity for miscommunication is enormous.

``They're preying on people asking for the wrong product," said Robert McGrath , who oversees Boston's weights and measures department. ``A lot of people just don't pay attention."

Several people lining up for fill-ups at the Gibbs station on Dorchester Avenue said they didn't know what economy gasoline was but would be careful to ask for the low-priced gasoline advertised on the store sign. ``That's a great price," said Janice Ryan of Dorchester.

I purchased gasoline at all three stations along Dorchester Avenue last week and had no problem, even though I asked for a fillup and didn't specify what grade of gasoline I wanted.

Mike Shuris , the owner of Tony's Auto and Cycle Center on Dorchester Avenue, said none of his customers are confused by the economy name.

``All of our customers, when they want economy unleaded, say economy unleaded," he said.

Shuris said customers ordering regular gasoline at his station order it because that's what they want. ``A lot of customers want 88 because their car runs better on 88."

But experts say a higher-octane level -- the measurement of a gasoline's antiknock properties -- doesn't enhance the performance of most cars.

The American Automobile Association estimates only about 10 percent of the cars on the road, mostly high-performance vehicles like Corvettes and Porsches, require premium or midgrade gasoline. The rest all run fine on 87 octane.

Art Kinsman , a spokesman for the AAA, said he has never heard of any vehicle that needs 88 octane.

He said some consumers still think that they're giving their car a treat by filling it with a higher-octane gas, but he says that's not true. ``They're literally wasting their money," he said.

As for calling an 88 octane gas regular, Kinsman said: ``It lends itself to confusion. I don't know if it's intentional on the part of retailers."

Some gas stations add a different twist to the economy name game. At the US Petroleum station in Framingham, the company advertises an economy gasoline with an 86 octane level. Its regular gas is listed as 87 octane.

The 86-octane economy gasoline puts many drivers in an awkward position, since they know their car is supposed to run on 87 octane but the 87 costs 19 cents more a gallon.

``Who ever heard of economy gasoline?" asked Martha, a woman who filed a complaint about the US Petroleum station with local officials. She asked that her last name not be used because she is uncomfortable being identified in the paper.

What Martha and most other drivers don't know is that 86-octane gas is not available in Massachusetts. Only 87-octane gas is shipped into the region.

Jack Walsh , the director of weights and measures in Framingham, said he tested the US Petroleum gas last year and discovered that the gas being sold as 86 octane was really 87.3 octane. The regular gas was 87.4 octane.

``They're advertising something they don't have," Walsh said.

Officials at US Petroleum could not be reached for comment.

Alexander Gessen , the Falmouth homeowner with the furnace that occasionally spews soot, received some good news last week from Home Depot.

The Atlanta-based hardware store chain, which charged Gessen nearly $5,000 last December for a new, installed furnace, notified him that it was willing to pay nearly $16,000 for repairs to his home to make the furnace work properly.

Gessen was pleased, but before signing a release form he said he needed to check with his contractor to make sure he could proceed with the repairs.

Home Depot, in its letter to Gessen, said the offer was not an admission of liability by the company or its subcontractor, Eaton Mechanical of Brockton, but rather a good-faith effort to settle the matter amicably.

Gessen said local Home Depot officials had previously told him they wouldn't pay for the repairs. He said they had told him the best they could do was take out the furnace and refund his money.

The $15,885 includes $12,782 to move Gessen's chimney closer to the new furnace so it will vent properly.

Another $3,063 is for damaged carpet and to clean up soot. An earlier soot incident required an $11,000 cleanup, paid for by Eaton's insurance company.

Bruce Mohl can be reached at mohl@globe.com.