California-based Gas Stations Required to Install Non-Locking Nozzles

SARATOGA, Calif. -- More than 3,000 gas stations in California must replace their old gas nozzles due to a recent decision handed down by the California State Marshall.

Old gas pumps allowed customers to lock the latch on the pump so they were able to step away from the fueling process, but under the new regulation non-locking nozzles are now a requirement.

Technorati.com reported that new nozzles can cost $350 each and that with the new non-locking nozzles gas station owners are now seeing a decrease in store purchases as customers are less-inclined to go into a store because they need to stay near their cars in order to fill up on gas.

In addition to the new locking nozzles, Technorati.com reported that typically California-based gas station and c-stores have more than 19 permits they have to maintain every year with an average cost of $19,000 annually, not including the money it costs to retrofit, upgrade, maintain and install parts required by all the regulations.

The Web site interviewed one local-based gas station operator who mentioned that on top of the new nozzles that need to be installed, "mandate after state mandate is causing him to lose more money as a small business owner. Recently it was the requirement to install new poles around his propane tank and another requirement to install an overhead roof above his pumps that set him back thousands of dollars."