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.

Locally where I am SE London it’s fine. My cousin in Eastbourne sent a message about no fuel at petrol stations though.

My old manager who lives in Livingstone messaged me to tell me about a guy at a self service petrol station. He filled his car and then proceeded to fill EIGHT cans, putting four in his boot and four on his back seat. Put aside for one minute about how selfish that is, imagine if he has a crash?

I drove across the country yesterday on a tank of unleaded I had to visit 3 petrol station and queue to use one of just two working pumps for.

Possibly unconnected but on the drive back I noticed lorries (carrying freight containers) were parked up multiple on every bridge and lay-by - we’re on a port route. I wondered what that was all about.

I'm just a bit further outside of Edinburgh and got petrol at Morrisons last night no problem. Tesco had run out, but the Esso garage near us still had fuel. No queues at either Tesco or Morrisons. I drove into Edinburgh today and the roads were a normal level of business. The petrol stations I passed in the north east of the city seemed to have fuel, and there were no queues. Supermarkets are definitely cheaper and are running out quicker, but the official line is that if we avoid panic buying there is still plenty to go round.

My daughter went to Sainsbury's tonight and there was no fuel. She carried on to Morrisons and was able to fill up ( West Midlands)

I’m Cumbernauld and we’re the same, my partner works in Glasgow and he struggled to get fuel on the way tonight. We both do a lot of miles in our cars so hopefully it calms down soon

I'm completely down the other end of the UK, drive diesel and have really noticed a price increase, like everyone else has! But haven't noticed any queues as such, doesn't seem any more busy than usual.

I did exactly as you suggested years ago when the refinery lorry drivers were on strike. Everyone went out at lunchtime to fill up except me. I wasn't going to panic but. Guess who was standing at bus station for a VERY LONG commute to work first.
If there are signs of potential fuel shortages I won't be acting as normal.
And we always keep lots of loo roll. And guess what.. during COVID lots of people ran out and we could help them out. We didn't panic buy, we already had stocked up way way in advance. It pays to be prepared. I think it's foolish to mock people who know things can turn ugly fast.

Clacton & Colchester’s cheapest petrol stations out of everything tonight.

I topped up not because there is a 'shortage' as such. Although i had to go to 3 different petrol stations yesterday for diesel... But more so because the price is rising and expected to rise even more over the next few weeks...
East Anglia

Because if everyone has half a tank more of petrol extra ...
They're stockpiling in the tank.

Sainsbury's was out of fuel when I went shopping this afternoon. However I went to my nearest, cheapest petrol station which is a jet standalone on a B road. No one on the forecourt except me.

I suspect people are filling up because they are at Sainsbury's anyway near me and that's led to that petrol station selling out. But in reality there is no problem buying fuel generally near me.

Will probably need to fill up next week because my milage is pretty set week to week. Drive to school and clubs and that's about it. The only thing I could possibly cut out is any run to shops or to the odd cafe. But that might save me 20 miles max a week. I don't think I can cut back unless I ditch the kids swimming which is paid for each term. To rural unfortunately.

One thing I'm going to save on is food shopping trips. I'm going to do one massive shop and do without after that until next month if these turn into real shortages, which I don't think this is yet.

I suspect just every car user who only fills up once a month have all gone this week to top up. But once everyone has a full tank, the once a month people can't fit that much fuel in again next week. I'm sure it will be more normal in a week.

You do realise that some people fill their car to brim every week of the year? We don't all live in city centres with public transport. A normal habit isn't stockpiling. Like I have 6 arses to wipe and 3 bathrooms in my house. 6 loo rolls might be a years stockpile for some but it's less than a weeks supply for others.

This pissed me off in covid. The superiority of living off one chicken breast a week. You can't do that with four kids.

Fife here and a lack of petrol and diesel everywhere at the moment. Fife Jammers (if you’re local, you know) have been reporting this daily for the last 5/6 days or so. Many garages closed as sold out.

The increased demand means the supply is less. The refineries need to increase volume, more tankers/drivers are needed. Diesel apparently comes from the Netherlands so shipping has to be arranged, drivers/tankers etc.

Stop making threads like this. It spreads the panic.

It's just been payday and many Scottish schools are on holiday from tomorrow. Hopefully it's just a blip.

We decided yesterday to replace my partners diesel car with an electric. We've already had enough of this after the last set of fuel problems - and have the feeling this will get considerably worse. I have been driving electric for a year and just can't believe how cheap they are to run (charging from home).
Used ev shopping today, hopefully can trade in his car without too much of a hit.

I’m about 8 miles out of Edinburgh.
The other evening we were out for a meal in the city .
Because my husband needed to make a longer journey in the car the next morning we tried to get fuel on the way home and made a short detour instead of heading the easier way home .
The queue at Costco was absolutely ridiculous!!! and that was well after 8pm .
Asda pumps were all closed and Tesco had no unleaded .
We had to head home and hope he could get fuel over there .
He said over on the west coast it was fine ??

That would indicate a delivery issue to the Edinburgh area since a few on here have said there is seemingly less fuel there

We had two days where fuel supplies were patchy, but I filled up this Tuesday and there were no queues and all types of fuel available at every pump.

I filled up on my way to work this morning - all pumps open, no queues (I was the only one on the forecourt), and a nice chat with the friendly man behind the counter. Easy peasy.

I think its patchier than that.

Over the past week/ten days I’ve refuelled in semi rural area in the West Midlands, rural part of East/Mid Devon and just outside Bristol as well as my normal home base in NW London. I’ve had no problems anywhere, not even unusual queueing. Prices of course are something else.

I avoid motorway service stations due to prices but I was checking signs for shortages - one service station on the M5 was out of diesel in one direction, the rest were all functioning as normal (parts of M5, M4 and M40).

I suspect the supermarket shortages are due to people hunting the best price more vigorously than usual and maybe extra refuelling for travel over the holiday weekend.

Yes it's only supermarket pumps that are either queued or out. Makes sense that people would switch to them because they're cheaper and most folk are doing a shop before the bank holiday anyway.

See also, Northern Rock.