Concerns Mount Over  Meter Manipulation In LPG Retail Market

Concerns are mounting across the country over alleged manipulation of gas dispensing meters at some liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) retail outlets, a development consumers say is quietly increasing household energy costs.

Across several locations, including parts of Lagos, Ogun and Ondo states, customers have reported receiving less gas than paid for, raising questions about measurement integrity at some filling stations.

The practice, which consumers describe as economic exploitation, is occurring as the country promotes cleaner cooking energy through increased LPG adoption.

A consumer in Badagry, Lagos state,  told GreenPlinth of  how she sent her young daughter to purchase 2kg of gas. The girl reportedly returned home and within minutes of cooking, the gas was exhausted.

The mother later returned to the station to protest the development, drawing the attention of bystanders.

The station manager subsequently intervened and instructed attendants to refill the cylinder, a response some consumers interpreted as an indirect acknowledgement of the complaint.

“If the meter was accurate, why was there an immediate refill?” some customers asked, questioning the transparency of the transaction.

The same experience was reported at two different gas retail outlets in Badagry, prompting fears that the development may reflect a wider pattern rather than an isolated incident.

Speaking on the development, energy expert  Àdewusi Ojo said the practice effectively increases the cost per kilogram of gas when consumers receive less than what they paid for.

Narrating his personal experience, he recounted purchasing 6kg of gas in Ondo State, expecting a total cylinder weight of 13kg since the empty cylinder weighed 7kg.

However, when the cylinder was weighed using a hand scale, it registered 10kg, leaving a 3kg discrepancy.

The customer reportedly returned to the station, where the attendant informed the supervisor.

He explained that many households are vulnerable to the malpractice because they do not own weighing scales and rely on digital displays provided by gas retailers.

Ojo also alleged that some gas stations deliberately keep weighing scales away from customers’ view or fail to install easily accessible measurement equipment at dispensing points.

He urged regulatory agencies, including the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), to intensify market surveillance and conduct random inspections of LPG retail outlets.

According to him, penalties for offenders should be strong enough to discourage manipulation of dispensing systems.

Ojo further advised households that use LPG to insist on cylinder weighing before and after refilling and suggested that consumers consider purchasing small hand weighing scales to verify gas quantities.

He warned that continued malpractice could discourage wider adoption of clean cooking energy and undermine public confidence in the domestic gas market.

“When gas stations manipulate meters, they are not just altering numbers. They are taking money from kitchens, from mothers, and from families already burdened by inflation,” he said

He stressed that clean energy promotion should not be undermined by unethical retail practices, adding, “Clean energy must not become a cover for dirty business. Nigeria deserves fairness at the point of sale.”