Fuel Quality Monitoring Scheme

In 1989, a national fuel quality monitoring scheme was set up. Under the scheme, the Measurement and Product Safety Service organises testing of petrol and diesel samples to ensure oil companies are complying with the regulations. About 100 samples are tested each month.

Testing under the scheme concentrates on the fuel’s most important properties such as octane number, cetane index, benzene level, total aromatics and sulphur content.

Using a statistical sampling plan, the scheme takes account of the fuel’s previous "pass" or "fail" rate and the market share of each oil company. More fuel samples are taken from regions of higher use (such as Auckland) than from regions of lower use.

Motorists fund the fuel quality monitoring scheme through the petroleum fuels monitoring levy (0.045 cents per litre). A percentage of the levy is used to fund the scheme.