Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Do motorway service stations still have fuel?

33 replies

everythingisstillawesome · 25/09/2021 06:06

I've been awake most of the night worrying about how I'm going to get home. Came away for the weekend, now got about a quarter of a tank which won't get me all the way home.

I feel such a dick, I didn't think about filling up till I was off the motorway and close to the destination and by then the petrol stations I saw along the way had mega queues and were out of diesel (fuel I use)

I don't need to drive today and the plan is to return home tomorrow. I do have enough to get to a motorway service station en route so if they are stocked up all will be well. But if not I could face running out of fuel on the way back.

Is anyone able to provide reassurance about service stations? Or warn me if they are also running out so I can think of a Plan B (train home and return for car when things settle down which would be a mega hassle but better than running out of fuel half way back?)

OP posts:

SpeckledlyHen · 25/09/2021 06:10

I’m not going to much help but I’m in a similar dilemma apart from I’m going on holiday today and only 1/4 tank. 😬 I’m driving 250 odd miles. I do think it’s probably local stations that run out first, a lot of people won’t go on a motorway and pay more if they could get it locally. Well that’s what I’m hoping at least!

nyktipolos · 25/09/2021 06:12

How many petrol stations are nearby? I think it would be worth going out early and getting in a queue.

Where I live, which may not be helpful, it's only BP that's struggling with deliveries. All the other ones have plenty.

The queues are purely down to people panic buying. It's like the toilet roll situation all over again.

feesh · 25/09/2021 06:13

Surely they would prioritise deliveries to motorway services above other petrol stations?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Driving & parking

Original poster

everythingisstillawesome · 25/09/2021 06:20

I'm in a town I don't know well. There are various patrol stations round here which had queues outside and had run out of diesel when I arrived last night.

I am wondering whether to do an early drive around but then what if the local places aren't restocked yet and I use up what I've got? Am I better sitting tight for a day and using the remaining fuel to get me to a service station on the way home tomorrow? I could try and phone local petrol stations and see what they've got in.

OP posts:

SpeckledlyHen · 25/09/2021 06:22

My local petrol station ran out last night, I noticed they had a sign saying they were expecting delivery snd to come back later. DH is going when they open at 7. I would google, find the nearest and go as soon as they open. Then it’s sorted and you can relax

Original poster

everythingisstillawesome · 25/09/2021 06:23

Good luck Speckedly Hen, hope you have a nice stress free journey with no refuelling issues (not sure how to tag, I lurk a lot but don't post much)

Please do let me know how you get on...

OP posts:

trollopolis · 25/09/2021 06:29

Yes, the vast majority are.

BPsaid yesterday that it's about 20 of its 1200 that are closed at any one time. The chances of them all,p being on your route are tiny (even assuming all petrol retail companies are similarly affected.

Unfortunately, oanic buying is stressing the system, so you may have to queue, and more places are having (usually brief) outages simplynbecause they're selling out unusually fast

SpeckledlyHen · 25/09/2021 06:36

@everythingisstillawesome will do. Husband is going shortly. What a nightmare eh? If you want to tag type @ and then start typing the name and it should come up for you to select. Hope that makes sense. Let us know how you get on too.

theworldsbiggestcrocodile · 25/09/2021 07:17

I have a similar issue this morning. All petrol stations near us ran out yesterday. I'm hoping deliveries will have been made overnight and everyone will have calmed the hell down by now.

KatherineJaneway · 25/09/2021 07:24

I get out now and drive about to find some.

Original poster

everythingisstillawesome · 25/09/2021 07:28

Sorted!

I googled and called a few places till I found somewhere with diesel then I went out and filled up. There was already a queue before 7am. So I guess this makes me part of the panic buying problem but it was v anxiety provoking worrying I might be stranded. Now to relax and enjoy the weekend.

Hope you're also sorted @SpeckledlyHen

OP posts:

Blessex · 25/09/2021 07:32

Everybody’s cars will surely be full of fuel soon then we can calm the fuck down. There is only so much fuel one person can stockpile - unless people are filling their garages with jerrycans.

Shurl · 25/09/2021 07:44

@Blessex

Everybody’s cars will surely be full of fuel soon then we can calm the fuck down. There is only so much fuel one person can stockpile - unless people are filling their garages with jerrycans.

Exactly. Lots of people are panicking about having enough for work next week. My local petrol station is not allowing people to fill Jerry cans atm, which is hopefully echoed across the UK!

trollopolis · 25/09/2021 07:47

Everybody’s cars will surely be full of fuel soon

And then in a little while, they won't be, so they'll go back just in case because the panic-buying stays in the news, and they too up more often, rather than fill up at longer intervals as usual. And so the stresses continue

FreeBritnee · 25/09/2021 07:54

We were trying to figure out how to refuel DPs car whose light is already on without wasting the last bit of fuel driving about. I didn’t know you could ring the petrol stations? That helpful.

Imnothereforthedrama · 25/09/2021 08:01

There isn’t a shortage of fuel only a shortage of peoples brain cells who want to queue for petrol . I think you’ll be fine but you may have to queue.

Itstheprinciple · 25/09/2021 08:14

Only BP and Texaco have the driver issues so if the service station is Shell or Esso or any other company, it should be fine. Unless, of course, people gave been stupid and bled them dry.

Obviouspretzel · 25/09/2021 08:19

People love to sound superior about others 'panic buying'.

Filling up a trolley with 20 packs of toilet rolls ? Panic buying. But how is it panic buying to think 'oh, there's lots of queues and the news says there could be some minor shortages, I've only got a little bit left in the tank and I need to go to work all week, may as well go and fill it up now"?

Thats what most people will be doing, and I wouldn't call that panic buying. As someone stated, you can only really buy as much as your car will hold.

Rhubarbsoup · 25/09/2021 08:21

@everythingisstillawesome

Sorted!

Hope you're also sorted @SpeckledlyHen

Its not panic buying if you genuinely need fuel. It's those who don't but read the news and thought they best top their tanks just in case.

bumblingbovine49 · 25/09/2021 08:27

@Imnothereforthedrama

There isn’t a shortage of fuel only a shortage of peoples brain cells who want to queue for petrol . I think you’ll be fine but you may have to queue.

How can anyone read that sentence and not laugh at its absurdity and lack of thought process.

The op needs petrol so it is ok for her to queue but not the others . How do you know what reason everyone had for needing petrol?.

Btw I'm not having a go at you op, I'd do exactly the same as you have, just at this sentence blaming everyone else in the queue. Most people in that queue will be worried that they may end up somewhere stuck without the ability to get petrol. You can argue that worry is needless but people need to trust the petrol stations will have petrol when they need it, otherwise they will top up more often.

SpeckledlyHen · 25/09/2021 08:35

@everythingisstillawesome yay!! Well done. We managed to get some too but it was not easy. First garage had people queuing but no sign of life. Apparently a tanker is arriving at 11.30. This is on main road to village and already carnage as people are blocking the road. DH went to another one and got fuel but according to the fb page they ran out in an hour. Madness.

SpringRainbow · 25/09/2021 08:43

You genuinely needed fuel to get home.

It’s all the idiots who are filling up when they really don’t need to who have caused a problem.

The worst are the ones who are not only filling up their cars but also Jerry cans. Idiots like that meant that my nurse sister almost couldn’t get to work last night.

There would be no problem if people weren’t panic buying.

I have no where to go that I can’t walk to so I haven’t been anywhere near a petrol station.

Hopefully by the time I need fuel things will be back to normal. I’m sure by then the panic buyers will have enough fuel to last for years so will have no reason to go anywhere near a petrol station.

Wegobshite · 25/09/2021 08:46

We both got petrol last night with no problem
The smaller independent ones seem to be ok
the big ones like Tesco’s Asda’s s Sainsbury’s we’re crazy and that’s where people seem to go

Imnothereforthedrama · 25/09/2021 08:59

What’s ridiculous @bumblingbovine49 is people queuing for petrol causing mass traffic , because I simply must get to work but majority do not need petrol today or tomorrow but are adding to the problem so yeah people are fecking stupid to believe this media and add to the problem. What amused me though was all these people queuing on a work day for petrol to get to work . Did I miss a memo that Friday is no longer a work day now seems everyone had yesterday off to queue for petrol.

FedUpAtHomeTroels · 25/09/2021 09:30

I just drove past Shell (no petrol or deisel) on the way to drop dd to work. I have an Airport run so my sister can go home (another country) this morning, I hope I can make it there an back on whats in my tank. I may well see if the services on the motorway have some so I can get home or even the petrol station at the airport if I'm lucky.

Flip

1 2