Tom Parsons of Dallas Morning News writes about the gas fees that many or almost all the car rental companies charge in many different ways.Parsons gives a very detailed picture and advices as to how to avoid these charges from the rental car companies.
His article published in san jose mercury news under travel section reveals these gas charges…

Whenever I rent a car, I’m amazed at how many fees are tacked on: a variety of taxes, additional equipment costs and the insurance you probably don’t need. Another avenue used to generate revenue is fuel fees.

When you rent a car, you’re given the option of prepaying for a tank of gasoline at a competitive rate. This option may sound good when you compare the cost per gallon to what you will be charged if you don’t prepay.

I recently rented a car in Tampa and was informed that the per-gallon fee for bringing the car back with less than a full tank was $6.99 per gallon if I didn’t prepay. If I returned the car with half a tank, it would cost $70 to fill it, and if I returned it empty, I would have to pay $140 to fill the 20-gallon tank.

The prepay rate was $2.20 per gallon, so if I prepaid I would pay $44, regardless of how much gasoline was in the tank when I returned the car. In most cases, drivers who prepay will bring the car back with some gasoline, so the car rental company will enjoy some fuel on your dime.

You should consider this option only for convenience’s sake if, for example, you’re returning the car to a different and unfamiliar location.

A better option is to leave a little extra time to fill the vehicle just before you return it. Be sure you note the first service station you see when exiting the car rental lot, as that is where you should fill the tank before returning the car. I make a notation on the map provided by the car rental company. You also can check www.gasbuddy.com for the best rates in the area.

Some car rental companies tack on an extra $9.50 for gasoline if you drive the car fewer than 75 miles. To avoid this charge, you must provide a gasoline purchase receipt even if the tank registers full.

Everyone was upset about fuel prices after Hurricane Katrina, and understandably so, but those prices had nothing on what car rental companies charge: nearly $5 more per gallon than the cheapest gasoline in the neighborhood.

Why doesn’t anyone enforce the law against price gouging? The cost of fuel has gone down, but car rental companies continue to charge more and more. They’re getting volume discounts on gasoline, so the prices they charge certainly don’t reflect costs.

There has been a lot of talk recently about enacting a bill of rights for air passengers. While we’re at it, I think we should consider protecting car renters from fuel-price gouging.

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