How long before fuel rationing?

Im starting to hear comments on Facebook occasionally from people about fuel station supply, so I guess people are panic buying. I think we are weeks away from shortages, and if it happens, then priority will need to be given to delivery trucks and the emergency services. It’s been weighing on my mind a lot because I can see this going on for months, if not years.

We’ve been let down by successive governments. We have next to no fuel storage, an under funded military and they sold off our steel making. We aren’t the great nation we used to be thanks to our politicians.

Very little of our supply cones from the ME so any shortages eould be caused by doughnuts like you scaremongering!

The helium shortage is what you really want to be concerned about. No helium, no cooling for MRI scanners. No cooling, no scans, slower / fewer cancer diagnosis.

Reliable source...MPs.......😂😂

He'll probably outline lots of sensible policies then say Haha April Fool 😃

Because I've got electric now I largely sail past petrol stations without even a glance. But yesterday I was surprised by a queue on a roundabout. Took me a moment to realise cars were lining up for fuel at the pumps just off the roundabout. Proper long queue. I think it's panic buying. Couldn't see any signs saying pumps were empty

I heard this too. Sky news is saying that it will be about the 'help' that they are giving to families; national pay increase, benefits etc

What? We are talking about fuel. Not plastic.

If he really wants to help he will be announcing a cut in fuel vat to offset the very large extra tax income they are getting 🤞
But somehow I doubt he really wants to help that much

Plastic is made from oil. Everything uses plastic.
Fertiliser is made from gas production. Essential for growing enough crops.

@MandemChickenShop I read a few weeks ago that this would happen . I wonder what the gov is waiting for

Cold tea for some.

@Freysimo yes he might...I wonder if it's to reassure us that nothing is happening here !
Or maybe something is happening and those with the broadest shoulders will be carrying it all.

I was in hospital yesterday and the nurse told me they have stopped doing certain tests and are running out of certain medication

I've just read on X that our beloved leader Sir Keir will be addressing the nation today so he might mention possible fuel rationing.

The tax revenues, jobs and lower transport costs are correct in that post.

North Sea drilling is a far worse and more expensive way to try to create fuel security

wind power would be cheaper and longer lasting

It's affecting loads of other countries. Across Asia weeks ago staff were moved to hybrid working, told to wear lighter clothing so air con could be reduced.

We are particularly dependent on gas as a nation for heating and cooking which makes us more vulnerable and also have very low gas storage for our usage. We also have a lot of rural communities who have oil based heating. Lastly we also rely on a lot of imports because, apart from food and pharmaceuticals, we are largely a service based economy. Imports are being badly hit through fuel costs, disruption to shipping and disruption to air travel.

Octopus man said we should drill as temporary measures to help ease supply but costs won't go down because the cost is set globally.
He said it's not green to ship stuff in

There is no increased energy security to drilling in the North Sea. It's not "our" fuel. We didn't do what Norway did and set up a Sovereign wealth fund.

Even Trump's claims that this don't impact the US are BS. Fuel prices are shooting up there too. Why? Because it's all sold on the global market.

Also it's most important to point out that the North Sea ("our" bit of it anyway) is pretty depleted. Do you know how much gas was produced by new licences issued by the Tories? 36 days worth.

Just One Month's Gas Supply From 14 Years of Licensing by Previous Government - Blogpost from Uplift (News)

Sure there's more oil but it won't solve the issue. What's more is Trump is so unstable, you can't rely on fuel from the US either so we need alternatives.

One alternative could and should be those near to wind farms being given free electricity at points of high production. We currently don't have the grid capacity nor storage to take it away and often pay to turn it off or pay for other countries to take it off our hands. Storage methods are coming but at points of high generation to increase demand, especially locally could be really helpful.

Umm but we do use fuel ?
We use a car to get to work etc.?
So we won't use it anymore than normal.
I wonder why this doesn't affect other counties .

Isn’t this like the Nick Clegg argument, nuclear takes too long. But then we move past the year we would have had extra energy and it seems s waste.

We’ll need it in 3 to 10 years (3 for adjacent sites apparently).

But why isn’t the extra tax receipt from selling it a factor? Prices go up and at least we’d get a bump in receipts. Plus not having to transport it so far.

Quick fag packet calculation on the extra government income from the recent increases in diesel price to non business private customers (Putting the 53p per litre of duty aside - as that number is a flat rate and they always get that and quantities of diesel used remain relatively stable.)

So let's just concentrate on the VAT tax take.

The average price of diesel in 2026 (post Trump deciding to give Iran a spanking) was £1.40 per litre. So the government were making an income of around 0.28p per litre of that in VAT.

Skip forward to yesterday and average price of diesel was £1.82 per litre. So the government were making an income of 0.38p per litre in VAT yesterday. Prices are set to rise a lot further too.

Thats a 36% increase in VAT income from private diesel car drivers !!

The average car tank hold 60 litres of fuel. So prior to the Iran conflict every time a tank was filled the government took around £16.80 in VAT.

Yesterday that VAT income on filling a tank rose to £22.80 !

If you add the 0.53p of duty also taken - the total tax given to the government per tank (excluding road tax) has reached an absolutely staggering £54.30 from every private diesel car driver.

In comparison - I charge my electric car at night at the cheap rate. To fill the battery and get a range of 350 miles costs me a total of £4.55. Of that the government takes a VAT rate of 5%. So they get a grand total of about 0.23p.

God bless Elon Musk.

Slashing fuel duty encourages fuel use.
Would be better just to ration and add other measures, like you mentioned, and reduce motorway speed limits to 55mph, like the US had to do in the 1970’s.
Even if the war ends soon, many of the wells have already been capped. Getting back to normal is a year away.
Prices are only going one way.