Nottinghamshire County Council’s officers have discovered an issue with bagged solid fuel sales in the area.
Routine inspections involving the weighing of 645 bags of solid fuel revealed that more than 10% of them were significantly underweight, mainly due to poorly maintained weighing equipment at local coal yards.
One coal yard was found to have consistently sold underweight bags, resulting in a consumer loss of nearly £13 per ton.
Some of the weighing equipment, dating back to 1963, was found to be faulty, making accurate measurements impossible.
As a result, affected yards have been required to repair or replace the faulty equipment.
Nottinghamshire Trading Standards has issued a warning to coal yards, indicating potential prosecution if further underweight bags of solid fuel are sold to residents.
Businesses are reminded of their legal obligation to use accurate and well-maintained weighing equipment to ensure products are sold at the correct weight.
Councillor Scott Carlton, Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Health at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “With household budgets being stretched, it’s more important than ever to make sure residents are not being over-charged for the things that they buy.
“That’s why our Trading Standards officers regularly carry out routine inspections of suppliers and retailers across Nottinghamshire to make sure the residents are getting what they pay for and that they products they buy are safe and legal to use.”
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