Fuel stations empty and car queues

[IUsedToRuleTheWorld]

I live in a town about 10 miles outside of Edinburgh - population about 70,000.

We have several garages and I just usually go to the local Tesco as it's cheap and convenient. It seems we have no fuel at all now. The asda fuel station had a delivery this afternoon and there was a queue of cars waiting to fill up so I am guessing that will run dry again soon.

I did notice the roads seemed quieter when I was out and about and so i did wonder if people were staying home to save their fuel.

Hard to know if there are actually shortages or if everyone is just panicking.

I have to admit I usually just fill mine when it gets empty but I have been going once a week to top it back up to full at the moment.

What's happening in your local area. I've been checking FifeJammers Facebook and it seems other areas are running out too ie Cupar.

It's a vicious circle. People see a post on MN hear supplies are running low and everyone goes out to fill up, which of course means garages run dry because they're stocked with enough for what they usually sell. So what probably happened is one garage was empty, which happens from time to time, the rumour went round locally and everyone went out to top up.

I filled up easily without queues here this morning.

Nope it's fine here, for now at least and long may it continue...

I got diesel today as was on empty. The petrol station was much less busy than normal. I drove past all 3 of our town petrol stations and all had fuel. Only one with any queues was the one that’s about 10p cheaper a litre. I’m in the South West.

Just outside Edinburgh, Tesco had no diesel as it's cheapest (180) - all other fuel stations I've been past have diesel and unleaded petrol, just slightly more expensive at 185 for diesel.

I'm about 50 miles from you. I visited 3 different garages today, none had unleaded, this was 2 x asda's and a tesco. Finally morrisons had some. Around 3/4 weeks ago, i'm sure it was 121p a litre for unleaded. Now, 150p.

They're not using more but they're buying more "this week", when supply chains are set up to deal with what they usually sell. One won't make any difference, of course, but when a whole town's at it...

Do not top up if you don’t need to and wouldn’t normally. We don’t get out fuel from the strait of Hormuz so there is no need to rush out getting fuel thinking we’ll run out. We will run out though with panic buying.

So the pump ran out is that what you mean?

Still free fuel so bonus!!!!

Yes if people just buy normally it will be fine, all this stocking up and panic buying causes the problems, I thought we'd learnt not to panic buy since the covid toilet roll saga

I work in Fife & there’s queues & petrol stations running out.

I had to refuel on Tuesday (petrol light on & NHS worker who needs car to do job) & was worried I wouldn’t get home.

I wish people would stop panic-buying. It’s usually the people who don’t need to who are doing it.

I'm in Sheffield, no queues and no problem at my local petrol station. Just expensive, £1.69.9 a litre for E5.

I’m in the North East and all of our local garages seem to have run out today. It was posted on the local FB group that Asda had a delivery this morning and then a comment posted 3 hours later with a photo of the queue and saying now none left. I don’t actually think it’s a shortage, just that people think there is one so instead of topping up every 2 weeks or whatever people are now going every other day!

He said because he pulled the emergency cord the fire brigade had to come out and use another key and turn it on. And when I told this to the man in the van he said 'so you broke the pump' and revved off really aggressively

Same here, no queues and easy to buy diesel.

I’m a similar distance away and I haven’t noticed this at all. I filled up no problem today.

no problems here, south hants

I wonder why it seems to be mainly in Scotland that there are fuelling issues?

Thanks for posting everyone. Seems to be affecting central Scotland then more than other areas. Perhaps because we can still remember the Grangemouth blockades 20 years ago.

A few people scattered elsewhere have reported problems but most of you are saying it is all fine. Hopefully it stays that way.

Anyone heading to central Scotland this weekend keep your tank filled up as you approach.

I'm in the South East - no shortages here, but big differences in price.
I filled up today at £1.55, but down the road another place was £1.61.

There were queues outside a place selling for £1.53 yesterday - and I was kind of regretting not filling up when I passed, but it only works out an extra £1 on a tank.

I really hope people don't go silly again and start panic buying fuel.

As soon as I read this I knew it was Fife Jammers 😆

All fine in Manchester

Forecourts are busy where we are but the fuel stations in town haven't run out. Every time I go past there are cars at every pump and a queue to get in. The fuel in our town is more expensive (diesel priced today at 1.87) than neighbouring towns (thanks to mfg monopoly in our town) whose diesel was 1.79 yesterday.

Although the fuel stations in the neighbouring towns (where the fuel was cheaper) have run out several times this week but do seem to be getting deliveries and they only seem to be out for a day and then filled up again the next day but their prices are going up every time there is a new delivery.

The roads are quieter here but that's probably because almost everyone I know has gone away on holiday. There does seem to be a few more people walking around.

I personally have started to walk more for short journeys - to baby groups in town, to the shops if I only need a few bits that will go under the pushchair, we've gone to the walkable park rather than the local NT place, we walked to the museum and library earlier whereas I would have driven down rather than lug a scooter and pram around town. I've popped the buggy board back onto the pram so DD can hitch a lift for longer walks. Tomorrow is errand day, I'm off to 1 out of town retail park with supermarket opposite.

Huge queues outside our local Costco, no problems at any other petrol station I’ve driven past. Have to admit, the arguments for not panic buying make perfect sense …however, I’ve told my kids to keep topping their cars up for financial reasons - the price seems to be rising so frequently that I figured if you keep topping up, you at least get that little bit at a slightly lower price than you would do if you waited until you actually needed to fill up and the price had risen again. So I’m probably contributing to the problem.

No problem here in the Cotswolds (and full of tourists!)

@Nojudginghere our local Costco had queues prior to the present situation.