Buying gas is a rote chore that most drivers don’t pay much attention to. But as NBC10 Philadelphia reporter Matt DeLucia points out, it may be worth being alert on details related to pump reports.

The Bucks County Department of Consumer Protection/Weights and Measures oversees local gas pumps. Its director, Michael Bannon, demonstrated the scrutiny at a Feasterville Sunoco.

Using a special meter, inspectors gauge the flow of gas in cubic inches. Too much or too little for a fixed price yields a failure designation and the pump is pulled from service.

The department checks every pump in Bucks County, every year. Last year, four percent of local pumps were shut down for inaccuracies.

The department also accepts information from consumers who suspect faulty transactions.

“They’ve really up-ticked in the past three weeks or so,” Bannon said, presumably from the additional purchaser scrutiny of record-high prices.

Bannon offers the following advice at the pump:

• Check the display price against the signage price
• Make sure the pump starts at zero before filling
• Look for a valid inspection sticker
• Ensure the pump looks sealed and secured, to ward against card skimmers or other hacks

Bannon’s last bit of advice is an easy task: Always get a receipt “…so if you think you’ve been shorted, you have proof of purchase,” he concluded.

More on pump reports and gasoline scams is at NBC10.