How long is it likely to last, realistically (petrol supply issues)

[PlinkPlankPlunk]

Ok I do know no one has a crystal ball! But are there any logical thoughts as to how long this petrol supply scenario is likely to go on for? Weeks? Months?

I am not sure what the reliable sources of opinion are - can anyone point me to anything? Trying to plan ahead for minimal use of the car etc and work out what our priorities would be…

[BigWoollyJumpers]

Just a tip I noticed yesterday. If you google your local stations, and look at the bar chart of "busy" times, I noticed yesterday that those stations who had fuel were either "busier than usual" or actually "as busy as it gets". Those without didn't even register on the bar.

[WeBuiltCisCityOnSexistRoles]

I remember the fuel shortages in 2000 and IIRC it lasted just over a fortnight. Of course that was a different situation, it was protests etc but I remember the warnings of the NHS being in a state of emergency and locally bin collections couldn't be carried out. It's scary how quickly things can grind to a halt, especially 20 years later when lessons haven't been learned...

[Kljnmw3459]

It'll be over by the weekend.

[WeBuiltCisCityOnSexistRoles]

I'm desperately looking for a bright side to this and maybe it's that people who could use their cars but will walk instead, will change their habits and walk in future? Also, if it impacts them directly, it will make the general public realise how incompetent and useless our current government are.

The reason I am looking for a bright side is that DH has been working through agencies since he lost his job due to the CV crisis. He has been working zero hour contracts at minimum wage whenever he can get them and it has been fucking awful. If he can't get petrol by this evening he won't be able to get to work (no public transport at that time and location) and not only will be not get paid for his shift, he will be replaced by another agency worker and lose this job. And our bills are all due to be paid on Friday!

I don't blame other people for filling up as that's exactly what the government want us to do - fighting amongst ourselves and looking sideways instead of up. We shouldn't be looking at people trying to get work and saying "why should you get priority?!" etc, we should be saying "the government shouldn't have let this happen and it was waiting to happen due to their policies and lack of investment and training etc"

[icebearforpresident]

I'm in a small town, 1 petrol station here and another about 10 miles in either direction. 2 of the 3 sold out over the weekend, the third (independently owned) limited to sales to £30 and turned off their card payment facility over night. All had deliveries today and by all accounts it's been only slightly busier than normal.

[freshcarnation]

Starfish it tends to be daily, but the big ones can be more frequent

[starfish4]

Does anyone know how often stations get refuelled? I'm ok for a few days, but was hoping to refuel at station nearby tomorrow after a flu vaccine. Our local garage is empty. I can't get to work without a car at the weekend though.

[FWBNC]

I'm hoping by Wednesday. I used all of my self control not to top up at the end of last week, but if I can't get any on Wednesday, I won't be able to work. (I need my car TO work, not to commute to work) 🤞🏼🤞🏼

People filling large tanks to 'full' to sit on their driveways is frustrating!!

Trouble is, when the Govt says 'Don't Panic' the vast majority will because they've lost the trust of the people.

[lljkk]

What should have been 3 hour drive today took DH 5 hours. Much of the excess 2 hours spent literally creeping to get past long Qs at petrol stations! DH had to refuel himself, maybe because drive took so much longer than it should have.

[PlinkPlankPlunk]

OK so the Guardian is echoing lots of the points made by PPs about the demand dropping off; so provided there is still some capacity to transport the supply around, should be OK soon:

Guardian

[YanTanTetheraPetheraPimp]

@BillStickersIsInnocent

I’ve got 15 miles left and we live rurally. No fuel in any of the local stations.

Me too, 9 miles from nearest petrol station but none available in the whole of that town.
Pretty pissed off about it especially when you read on MN of people filling up not only their own cars but those of their DCs who haven’t taken their cars to university ‘so we don’t run out’. Selfish gits. I cannot get to visit a very sick relative or even to get shopping at the moment.

[Clymene]

On the radio earlier they were saying Wednesday.

[Skysblue]

If it’s caused by panic buying, it will end when everyone’s got a full tank, which shouldn’t take long. A week maybe? People will be doing less driving, so will use fuel more slowly too.

If it’s caused by more serious issues, ie brexit-related shortage of drivers, then it’ll last until the government do some kind of fix eg use army to drive HGVs or massive bonus to entice foreign drivers back. That could take months to have much effect.

I’m nearly empty tank and the local petrol stations are empty but luckily I don’t need the car much so think I’ll just walk everywhere for a couple of weeks then try again. I really don’t want to use up my last drops of petrol driving back and forth to empty service stations.

Also - I want the doctors, teachers, bin lorries, and Ocado to get fuel before I do!!

[Derbee]

Presumably it’ll be like the toilet paper fiasco. As soon as all the wankers have filled their cars and Jerry cans, it’ll all settle down and us non wankers can get our fuel as normal

[freshcarnation]

We reckon by Wednesday it should have died down a bit. The smaller dealer ones sites generally get one load a day, whereas the large company owned sites will be supplied with more because there's more profit for the company. Would imagine it will start to ease by tomorrow

[EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall]

In about a week, the panic buyers have already been at it all weekend. Now all those who dont have enough to get to work all week and decided not to go over the weekend are queuing for it here

[FreeButtonBee]

I really hope in the next week or so. All the petrol stations near me in London are empty and I’ve put off a couple of longer journeys so I don’t use any fuel until I can top up. We have less than a 1/4 tank but with London traffic you can easily get stuck for an hour in slow moving traffic so can’t really risk anything other than local journeys.

I am doing a long trip at half term so hoping to get filled up properly before then!

[BigWoollyJumpers]

Pretty much all of our local stations (5) got deliveries very early this morning. People were posting on "Nextdoor". Some of them are already out. I have a full tank anyway, DH is going to wait until the end of the week, he is on Diesel fumes, but only using the train this week. If we need a car, we will use mine.

[BillStickersIsInnocent]

I’ve got 15 miles left and we live rurally. No fuel in any of the local stations.

[BobbyMcGeeAndMe]

Has anyone tried going to the 24 hour stations late at night, presumably the queues have died down then?

[RiotAtTheRodeo]

@Mulhollandmagoo

(isn't there a law how much or how long it can be stored for?)

Out of interest I checked my home insurance docs and there is something in there about storing petrol in a jerry can - and I'm not allowed! I can have it in a car or in a lawnmower/strimmer/hedge trimmer etc. but not in a Jerry can

I do worry about people storing containers of petrol in their garages. A danger to themselves and to their neighbours. I even saw a photo of some idiot filling up multiple empty 2L water bottles with petrol...

[Smashingspinster]

There is the same number of petrol delivery drivers this week as there was last week and the week before. The issue was the knobs panic buying, not the delivery system. Hopefully once people get over their hysteria, things will settle down.

[LittleMysSister]

*can't really risk

[LittleMysSister]

I'm wondering this too.

Had to drive a 60 mile trip on Saturday with about 1/8 tank because I couldn't get petrol anywhere, managed to get home but now my petrol light is on and I can really risk sitting in a big queue.

I only really want to chance it when I'm fairly confident I can drive in so hoping it tails off soon because I'm a bit stranded.

[Hippopotas]

I’m hoping it will calm down in about a week. I’m on fumes so going to have to use DH car until I can fill up as he has 3/4 of a tank.