Hands-free nozzles approved for self-serve gas on P.E.I.

P.E.I. gas stations may now offer their self-serve customers a chance to get out of the cold while filling up.

The Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission changed the regulations to allow gas nozzle locking clips following a request from Wilson Fuels.

Doug MacDonald, general manager of store operations for Wilson Fuels Atlantic Canada, said the company asked for the change because customers were sometimes shoving items like wallets or gloves into the gas handles.

"That's certainly not designed to disengage when the fuel tank becomes full in the vehicle," said MacDonald.

"It's a much safer mode of dispensing fuel than jamming a gas cap or some other kind of material in there to keep the fuel flowing, and a lot more comfortable for people when the temperatures hit minus 20 or 30 degrees."

MacDonald said there had been some small spills when people used other materials in the handle to keep the gas flowing, but he's never had a spill from the hands-free nozzles.

IRAC made the change in a published notice in February.

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