EETC partners with OPEI on ethanol education campaign
The Equipment Engine & Training Council (EETC) has joined forces with the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) in the ‘Look Before You Pump’ campaign, an ethanol education and consumer protection program. The campaign reminds consumers to always use fuels containing no greater than 10-percent ethanol (E10) when powering their outdoor power equipment or other non-road product — such as boats, snowmobiles and motorcycles — not designed for higher ethanol fuel blends.
The EETC is a non-profit association addressing the shortage of qualified technicians in the outdoor power equipment industry. Under the partnership with OPEI, EETC will distribute ‘Look Before You Pump’ messaging and materials to its membership and other stakeholders.
Created by OPEI, an international trade association representing 100 small-engine, utility vehicle and outdoor power equipment manufacturers and suppliers, the ‘Look Before You Pump’ campaign is most known by its emblematic, prominent, red warning hand symbol indicating ‘OK’ for 10-percent ethanol and ‘NO’ for mid-level ethanol blends (such as E15, E30, E85). The campaign was launched in October 2013, in response to higher ethanol blended fuels being made available in the marketplace for ‘flex-fuel’ automobiles, and to warn consumers not to inadvertently misfuel their small-engine products not designed to handle these higher ethanol fuel blends.
“Our ethanol education campaign has made great strides in educating consumers about proper fueling behavior,” said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of OPEI. “People need to use the right fuel in the right product. But the fuels marketplace is changing and misfueling is more possible than ever. The ‘Look Before You Pump’ campaign is designed to mitigate that risk.”
According to Erik Sides, executive director of EETC, “It just makes sense to partner with OPEI in educating the consumer on proper fueling of outdoor power equipment. EETC member dealers, distributors and technicians will be the ones diagnosing and repairing the equipment that was misfueled.”
Last year, the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association (ISMA) also joined forces with OPEI in spreading the campaign messaging. In addition, major retail outlets, including Lowe’s, Walmart and True Value, as well as independent dealers, began using the ‘Look Before You Pump’ message in their stores and in customer circulars and catalogs.
OPEI, EETC, ISMA and NMMA urge consumers to read their equipment operating manual before fueling engines to ensure they use the right gasoline. For more information, visit www.LookBeforeYouPump.com and search for #LookB4UPump on Twitter and Facebook.
