When you buy a gallon of gas at the service station, you don't always put the same amount of energy in your tank.
Gasoline, like other liquids, expands in high temperatures. Although gas pumps always dispense the same amount, the fuel is less dense when it's warm. That means you spend a little bit more to get the same amount of power for you car.
Consumer advocates say drivers are getting short-changed, particularly in warm-weather states such as California.
"This is a system that is totally rigged to misrepresent how much gas you're getting," said Jaime Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.
How much does this cost drivers? A study by the Kansas City Star newspaper, which brought the issue to light, estimated that Californians would save about $450 million if the state's gasoline pumps adjusted for temperature.
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