LONDON and the South East are still seeing a shortage of fuel at forecourt pumps as the Army begins to deliver petrol across the UK.
The situation for fuel crisis in the South East has been blasted as “absolutely horrendous” by experts – as the Army begins driving tankers to deliver petrol.
Nearly 200 soldiers are delivering fuel in a bid to end the crisis after going through a crash HGV course.
And as panic buying begins to ease around the rest of the country,prices have reached an eight year high of £1.36 a litre as motorists continue to battle a fuel crisis.
Latest government figures show that a litre of fuel has now reached 136.1p a litre and 139.2p a litre for diesel.
Read our energy companies live blog for live updates on the crisis…
- Louis Allwood
Where can I get fuel today?
Drivers who don’t urgently need to fill up are urged to steer clear of petrol stations.
However, if you do need to make a trip to the pump, it is worth checking local reports to find out which stations near you are operating as normal.
You may need to visit several stations to find the fuel you need, but deliveries will continue to be made to maintain supplies and keep cars running.
Ensure you check individual station opening times, as these vary across the country. And also remember that it may be necessary to drive slightly further than normal in order to fill up.
Apps such as Waze and Google Maps can show you the fastest route to your nearest forecourt, and we’ve looked at how you can find where to get fuel near you.
- Louis Allwood
Wholesale cost of fuel driving up prices at pumps
As well as panic-buying and stockpiling, the rising wholesale cost of fuel is causing price to rise at the pumps.
The price of crude oil has now reached more than $81 a barrel, up from just $14.64 in April.
A number of factors are behind this including strong demand from Asia, lower supply from Russia, and a better-than-expected economic recovery after the pandemic also putting pressure on the industry.
While experts insist there is no actual shortage of fuel in the UK, a lack of HGV drivers means it is not being transported.
- Joseph Gamp
Petrol prices soar to 8 year high of £1.36
PETROL prices have reached an eight year high of £1.36 a litre as motorists continue to battle a fuel crisis.
Latest government figures show that a litre of fuel has now reached 136.1p a litre and 139.2p a litre for diesel.
It comes as many drivers are still struggling to fill their cars, more than a week after forecourts started to run dry.
The cost of petrol has increased from 113.5p a year ago, while diesel is up from 118.24p.
Some motorists have accused petrol retailers of profiteering amid the nationwide fuel shortage, with reports of some forecourts charging more than £2 a litre.
- Joseph Gamp
Does social media help or add to panic?
The Petrol Retailers Association has previously warned that social media is fuelling panic buying as people flock to a petrol station as soon as there is a delivery.
Social media websites such as Facebook and NextDoor have dedicated local groups that will inform people about nearby fuel supplies.
There is mixed opinion though about whether this helps alleviate or encourage a mass rush and adds to the shortages.
- Joseph Gamp
Bridgerton set has own private fuel supply
WHILE the rest of the country is scrambling around for fuel, Netflix bosses have their own source to keep their big hit, Bridgerton, in production.
They have access to at least four ‘bowsers’ – mini tanker trailers brought directly from fuel companies that cast and crew can use The bowsers will also keep generators and trucks running on set.
Producers are particularly keen for their staff to avoid car sharing in a bid to keep Covid at bay, and have been undertaking the measure since production started in April.
Bridgerton has already had to shut down repeatedly because of outbreaks of the virus among the show’s cast and crew.
A Netflix source said: “The last thing anyone wants is any further delays, which has been challenging with the backdrop of Covid. They have managed to fill up at least four mini tankers, known as bowsers, which are being made available to staff. The fuel is there for the generators, trucks, location transport and has been since the very start of production back in April.”
- Joseph Gamp
Government cannot wave a ‘magic wand’ to solve issues, says Sunak
There will be gaps on supermarket shelves this Christmas, industry leaders have warned, as Rishi Sunak said he cannot “wave a magic wand” to make supply chain problems go away.
The Chancellor said the Government will do all it can to “mitigate” global supply issues, but he conceded that there is disruption and did not rule out Christmas being affected.
It comes as around 200 military personnel – half of them drivers – are being deployed to the roads for the first time to help deliver petrol to forecourts.
Around 22% of filling stations in London and the South East still do not have fuel, according to executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association Gordon Balmer.
And despite ministers insisting the situation at the pumps, which has seen queues and panic buying, is easing, Operation Escalin launched on Monday.
- Joseph Gamp
Your rights if you can’t get into work due to petrol crisis
The ongoing petrol crisis has left many drivers unable to fill up and worried about getting to work.
Widespread panic buying coupled with a shortage of delivery drivers has led to several petrol stations running dry or limiting the amount of fuel customers can get.
And now, Boris Johnson has confirmed that the interruption could last until Christmas if not longer.
But if you can’t get into work because you’re out of petrol, what are you rights? Here we explain everything you need to know. The good news is that you can’t be fired if you can’t get to work because of the petrol crisis.
If your employer does try to sack you because you can’t travel, you should speak to an employment lawyer to see if you have a case for unfair dismissal.
- Joseph Gamp
Figures show a fifth of London’s petrol stations are empty
Figures showed a fifth of stations in London and the South East remained empty.
But there were signs the pressure was beginning to ease as Esso, BP and Shell lifted their £30 cap on fuel. EG Group, which runs 340 forecourts, said “customer purchasing behaviour” had “returned to normal levels in the majority of locations”.
Around 200 soldiers were deployed yesterday half of them drivers as part of Operation Escalin. A further 100 are on standby.
But the Petrol Retailers Association warned it could take up to ten days for the disruption to end. Chairman Brian Madderson added that prices could rise by as much as 3p per litre this week after crude oil shot up three per cent to $81 a barrel a seven-year high.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “Fuel stocks are increasing and more fuel is being delivered than is used.”
- Joseph Gamp
PM: No alternative to staffing shortages
Boris Johnson has insisted there is "no alternative" to the problems stemming from staffing shortages as he faced criticism for denying that the UK is in crisis.
The Prime Minister said on Tuesday he is "not worried" about the staffing shortages which have played a role in petrol pumps running dry and risk a mass pig cull and shortages this Christmas.
Mr Johnson played down the prospect that rising inflation rates could cancel out wage growth as he pins his long-term hopes on transitioning into a high-wage high-skilled economy in the wake of Brexit.
Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme if there was a crisis, the Prime Minister said: "No, I think that, on the contrary, what you're seeing with the UK economy, and indeed the global economy, is very largely in the supply chains the stresses and strains that you'd expect from a giant waking up, and that's what's happening."
- Joseph Gamp
AA gives advice on misfuelling
Edmund King, AA president, said: “If a driver does find themselves in the unfortunate position where they’ve added the wrong fuel to their tank, it is vital that the vehicle is not started.
“Do not attempt to add the correct type of fuel to dilute as this will only add to the cost of the error and may lead to damage if the engine is started with diluted fuel in the tank.
“Contact your breakdown provider or garage for assistance in the first instance”.
- Joseph Gamp
PM: 127 drivers applied for fuel tanker visas
Boris Johnson has said 127 drivers have applied for fuel trucker visas amid an acute shortage of drivers.
The PM told BBC that the haulage industry had been asked to provide the details of drivers who were willing to come to Britain, and it had only given 127 names.
“What that shows is the global shortage,” he said.
The Times newspaper reported that just 27 fuel tanker drivers had applied.
With fuel companies and supermarkets warning that a shortage of drivers was hitting deliveries, the government said late last month that it would temporarily reverse its immigration rules and give 5,000 visas for EU drivers to operate in Britain. It said 300 of those could arrive immediately to drive oil tankers.
- Joseph Gamp
Graph: The soaring price of petrol
Latest government figures show that a litre of fuel has now reached 136.1p a litre and 139.2p a litre for diesel.
It comes as many drivers are still struggling to fill their cars, more than a week after forecourts started to run dry.
The Government produces weekly figures on average fuel prices across the country.
The cost of petrol has increased from 113.5p a year ago, while diesel is up from 118.24p.
- Joseph Gamp
When was the last UK petrol shortage?
The last time the UK experienced serious fuel shortages was in 2000 when protests over rising prices led to many forecourts running dry.
Farmers and lorry drivers blockaded refineries meaning fuel could not
be transported to petrol stations.Petrol retailers began rationing their remaining supplies as panicked motorists tried to stockpile.
Schools closed, the NHS was cast into an emergency state, and Royal Mail said it only had enough fuel for one more day of deliveries.
- Joseph Gamp
Panic at the pumps causes misfuelling epidemic
IF you put the wrong fuel in your car by mistake, the first thing you should do is leave the car switched off.
Turning on the engine or even putting the keys in the ignition could cause fuel to flow into the car’s engine, damaging it and making an already costly problem much worse. The second thing you should do is remember that you’re not alone.
Somebody in the UK makes this easy mistake every few minutes, according to the AA, and that number is rising thanks to the current chaos at fuel stations.
Experts call this misfuelling, and it’s on the rise as desperate Brits panic at the pumps. It’s easier to put petrol into a diesel car due to the size of the nozzles – a diesel car has a wider opening on its fuel tank than a petrol car.
But putting petrol into a diesel car can cause expensive damage or even write off the whole car.
Diesel fuel lubricates the engine as it flows through it, whereas petrol does almost the opposite.
- Joseph Gamp
Mum gives birth at petrol forecourt (continued…)
The drama started when Stephanie woke in the middle of the night with pain and knew her baby was coming.
She phoned the midwife who had been booked to deliver the baby at 8am but Stephanie told her she needed to come over now as Lucy was on her way.
Stephanie told the Chronicle Live: “We were going to the hospital with my partner driving, the midwife in the front and me on all fours in the back of our pick-up. There’s no gas and air in the back of a truck.
- Joseph Gamp
Mum, 29, gives birth at petrol forecourt ‘in seconds’
A MUM gave birth “in seconds” on the back of a pick-up truck at a petrol forecourt as she was being rushed to hospital.
Stephanie Richardson, 29, delivered her third child Lucy Varley in the early hours of Friday morning at the Jet petrol station in Lanchester, County Durham.
Currently, large parts of the country are in the grip of fuel chaos with many petrol stations being forced to close as they await deliveries.
The mum, from Medomsley near Consett, had been due to be induced just four hours later but baby Lucy had other ideas and made an appearance in the back of a Nissan pick-up truck instead.
Fortunately, Stephanie’s partner Matthew Varley, also 29, and their friend and midwife were on hand to ensure Lucy was delivered safely, weighing 6lb 15oz.
- Joseph Gamp
UK service sector hikes up prices
UK service sector firms hiked prices at a record pace last month as they battled against surging cost pressures and a slump in new orders due to supply and staff shortages, new figures have shown.
The closely watched IHS Markit/CIPS UK Services PMI survey revealed that new order growth weakened for the fourth month in a row, with new business rising at the slowest pace for six months.
Overall service sector output was better than expected, with the report showing a reading of 55.4 in September, which is up from the six-month low of 55 recorded in August. Economists had been expecting a reading of 54.6.
The report laid bare the pressures facing the sector, with the data showing firms resorting to passing on costs to customers, with the steepest rise in prices for services since the survey records began.
Supply chain difficulties and staff shortages also saw a rising backlog of work in the sector, with unfinished business now having built up for seven months straight – the longest run since 2015.
- Joseph Gamp
PM: Problems caused 'very largely by economic recovery'
Just 127 of the 300 visas for tanker drivers to come to the UK immediately have been granted, Boris Johnson has said.
The PMargued that supply chain problems are caused "very largely by the strength of the economic recovery".
The Prime Minister told BBC Breakfast: "What we said to the road haulage industry was: 'Fine, give us the names of the drivers that you want to bring in and we will sort out the visas, you've got another 5,000 visas.'
"They only produced 127 names so far. What that shows is the global shortage."
Mr Johnson added: "The supply chain problem is caused very largely by the strength of the economic recovery. What you will see is brilliant logistic experts in our supermarket chains, in our food processing industry, getting to grips with it, finding the staff that they need. We will help them in any way that we can. But the shortage is global."
- Joseph Gamp
Fuel crisis in South East is still ‘absolutely horrendous’
THE fuel crisis in the South East has been blasted as “absolutely horrendous” by experts – as the Army tankers start to arrive at oil depots.
Countless pumps are still running on empty with the fuel crisis a serious issue in London and the South East, according to the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA).
Now, nearly 200 soldiers are in the process of delivering fuel in a bid to end the crisis after going through a crash HGV course.
Read more here.
- Joseph Gamp
Lack of HGV drivers, not fuel, to blame
While experts insist there is no actual shortage of fuel in the UK, a lack of HGV drivers means it is not being transported.
Motorists are being urged not to buy more petrol than they need and not to stockpile.
The current legal limit for at-home petrol storage without a special license currently stands at 30 litres, so drivers are being urged not to stockpile.
- Joseph Gamp
Where can I get fuel today?
Drivers who don't urgently need to fill up are urged to steer clear of petrol stations.
However, if you do need to make a trip to the pump, it is worth checking local reports to find out which stations near you are operating as normal.
You may need to visit several stations to find the fuel you need, but deliveries will continue to be made to maintain supplies and keep cars running.
Ensure you check individual station opening times, as these vary across the country. And also remember that it may be necessary to drive slightly further than normal in order to fill up.
Apps such as Waze and Google Maps can show you the fastest route to your nearest forecourt, and we've looked at how you can find where to get fuel near you.
- Joseph Gamp
Wholesale cost of fuel driving up prices at pumps
As well as panic-buying and stockpiling, the rising wholesale cost of fuel is causing price to rise at the pumps.
The price of crude oil has now reached more than $81 a barrel, up from just $14.64 in April.
A number of factors are behind this including strong demand from Asia, lower supply from Russia, and a better-than-expected economic recovery after the pandemic also putting pressure on the industry.
While experts insist there is no actual shortage of fuel in the UK, a lack of HGV drivers means it is not being transported.
- Joseph Gamp
Petrol prices soar to 8 year high of £1.36
PETROL prices have reached an eight year high of £1.36 a litre as motorists continue to battle a fuel crisis.
Latest government figures show that a litre of fuel has now reached 136.1p a litre and 139.2p a litre for diesel.
It comes as many drivers are still struggling to fill their cars, more than a week after forecourts started to run dry.
The cost of petrol has increased from 113.5p a year ago, while diesel is up from 118.24p.
Some motorists have accused petrol retailers of profiteering amid the nationwide fuel shortage, with reports of some forecourts charging more than £2 a litre.
- Joseph Gamp
Pictured: Army tankers at fuel depot in south
Army drivers in fatigues were seen driving fuel trucks on Tuesday at a fuel depot in southern England.
In the image below, a soldier is seen driving a tanker at the Buncefield Oil Depot near Hemel Hempstead.
Other images show workers preparing a fuel tanker at the south-region centre.
A soldier is seen driving a tanker at the Buncefield Oil DepotCredit: Reuters - Joseph Gamp
Labour blasts PM's denial of crisis
In response to the Prime Minister denying there was a crisis, Labour Party chair Anneliese Dodds said: "Boris Johnson is so out of touch that he can't see a crisis when it's staring him in the face.
"Try telling the teacher who couldn't get into school because she couldn't find petrol that there's no crisis.
"Or the social care worker who will lose £1,000 a year when the Government cuts Universal Credit tomorrow, and worrying if he can afford to heat his house.
"The chaos millions of working people are currently facing hasn't come about by chance. It is a crisis made in Downing Street, and it's the Prime Minister's responsibility to sort it out."
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