Fuel loss calculator
Small gaps between what you buy, sell and measure add up fast. See what they could be costing your stations each month and year.
Turn a small percentage into a real number
Losses are usually talked about as a percentage, which makes them sound harmless. This calculator converts that percentage into litres and money, so you can decide how much effort stock control deserves.
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Your volumeAverage litres sold per day at one station, and how many stations you run.
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Your priceUse your purchase cost per litre for cash lost, or selling price for revenue missed.
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Your loss rateThe share of fuel unaccounted for between book stock and tank dips.
Where does the fuel go?
Most losses come from a handful of causes, and each leaves a different pattern in your numbers.
Recording mistakes
A mistyped meter reading or a missed test litre creates a "loss" that isn't real, and hides ones that are.
Temperature & evaporation
Fuel shrinks as it cools and petrol evaporates in heat. Small, but steady.
Meter drift
A dispenser that gives more than it records loses fuel on every single sale.
Short deliveries
Less fuel discharged than invoiced, or fuel unloaded into the wrong tank.
Leaks
Losses that continue even when nothing is being sold. Investigate immediately.
Unrecorded sales
Fuel dispensed without being recorded, often tied to particular shifts or nozzles.
Find your real number
The calculator shows what's at stake. These help you measure what's actually happening.
Questions about fuel loss
What counts as fuel loss?
Fuel loss is the difference between your book stock (opening stock plus deliveries minus litres sold) and the stock you actually measure with a tank dip. It includes evaporation, temperature effects, meter errors, short deliveries, leaks and unrecorded sales.
What loss percentage should I use?
If you already reconcile book stock with tank dips, use your own average. If not, try a few values between 0.2% and 1% to see the range. Even half a percent adds up quickly at a busy station.
Should I use the selling price or the purchase price?
Use the purchase price to see the cash you have actually lost, or the selling price to see the revenue you missed out on. Both are useful; the purchase price is the more conservative figure.
Is my data saved or sent anywhere?
No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser and nothing you type is sent to FuelBotics.
How do I find my actual loss?
Compare book stock with a tank dip every day for each tank. Our free Excel daily sales and dip register does the calculation for you, and FuelBotics does it automatically with alerts.
