London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 04, 2026

No fuel shortage? Motorists queue for petrol across UK, nearly 400 stations impose £30 limit amid ‘unprecedented demand’

No fuel shortage? Motorists queue for petrol across UK, nearly 400 stations impose £30 limit amid ‘unprecedented demand’

The deepening energy crisis in Britain has reached fuel supply, with large queues spotted at petrol stations across the country. One of the providers, EG Group, has imposed a £30 limit due to a surge in demand.

Long queues of cars at petrol stations were spotted across the UK on Friday, with hundreds of motorists seeking to top off their tanks amid fears of fuel shortages.


Some petrol stations ran out of fuel and closed, while many others lacked at least one brand of fuel, according to British media reports. Around 20 of 1,200 stations run by BP have been temporarily closed, while ExxonMobil’s Esso stated that “a small number” of its 200 Tesco Alliance got affected by the crisis.


EG Group, a British retailer operating nearly 400 retail sites across the UK, has imposed a flat £30 limit on purchases of any type of fuel. The company said the cap was introduced due to an “unprecedented customer demand.”


Britain’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has blamed the fuel issues on logistics problems. While the country’s refineries had “plenty of petrol” stockpiled, the UK has been plagued by the lack of lorry drivers, the official said, suggesting that the government might bring the army in to move fuel and other goods around.

“If it can actually help, we will bring them in,” he told BBC Breakfast.

Shapps also rejected the notion that Brexit was to blame for the current crisis, arguing that parting ways with the EU benefited the local haulage industry.

“So Brexit actually has provided part of the solution of giving more slots available for HGV tests and a lot more,” he said, adding that EU members Poland and Germany have faced a similar problem.

Other government officials and MPs rushed to reassure the public as well. Conservative MP Paul Holmes, for instance, warned against “panic buying,” insisting it was behind the shortages.

“Supply lines are good and deliveries are happening. If you panic buy you are causing a problem, and panic buying is not the solution,” tweeted Holmes, who represents Eastleigh.


Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Nadine Dorries also tried to allay concerns of the motorists, denying that any fuel shortages were in place.

“There is no fuel shortage. I repeat, THERE IS NO FUEL SHORTAGE!!” she tweeted.


Dorries’ take on the fuel crisis invoked a storm of mockery, with hundreds of commenters flocking to her Twitter feed. Many argued the official’s attempt to calm the situation down might actually be more panic-inducing than reassuring.


The fuel supply issues come atop of the natural gas troubles experienced by the UK over the past few weeks. Soaring gas prices have already driven multiple smaller energy providers out of business, with more companies expected to collapse shortly.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
BP profits reach four-year high amid Middle East conflict
A SpaceX Rocket Is About to Crash Into the Moon — and Scientists Hope to Watch
World War II munitions discovered after wildfires in southern France
Europe’s Drying Rivers Trigger Power Cuts, Factory Shutdowns and Wildfire Emergencies
Nigel Farage Expresses Openness to Potential Alliance with Restore Britain
AstraZeneca Merger Talks Reflect Intensifying Pharmaceutical Consolidation
University Merger May Set Template for Higher Education Reform
Apple's Legal Challenge Highlights Growing Tension Over Encryption and Surveillance
Prime Minister Andy Burnham's Agenda Signals Shift Toward Greater Regional Devolution
Mental Health Trust Faces Criticism Over Planned £25 Million Budget Cuts
Scientists and Cultural Leaders Call for Funding to Save Jodrell Bank Observatory
UK Manufacturing Output Reaches Highest Level in Nearly Two Years
University of Greenwich and University of Kent Complete Landmark Merger
Nigel Farage Unveils Naval Border Proposal Amid Questions Over £5 Million Donation
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Tougher Action on Small Boat Crossings
Apple Challenges UK Government Over Encrypted Data Access Demands
AstraZeneca Shares Fall After Reports of $400 Billion Bristol Myers Squibb Merger Talks
Triple Lock Lifts UK State Pension but Leaves a Wider Retirement Gap
Danube Drought Forces Hungary’s Paks Nuclear Plant Into Full Shutdown
Ceuta Death Toll Rises as Spain and Europe Clash Over Border Response
Cuba’s Grid Fails Again as Fuel Crisis Deepens
Nazca Lines Flight Crash Kills Thirteen as Peru Suspends Aerodiana
Modern Slavery Decisions Broaden the Al Fayed Inquiry’s Frame
FIFA’s Retreat Leaves a Larger Question Over Who Guards the Game
Two Firefighting Crew Members Die in Helicopter Collision West of Athens
Public Sector Automation Through Artificial Intelligence
Regional Investment Beyond London
Protection of Strategic Technology Assets
UK Competition Regulator Blocks Major Foreign Takeover of British Quantum Computing Firm
UK Government Commits Two Billion Pounds to Modernise Northern Rail Network
UK Parliament Approves Planning Reforms to Accelerate Housing Construction on Green Belt Land
Scotland Approves Major Floating Offshore Wind Expansion in the North Sea
United Kingdom and European Union Sign Defence and Critical Minerals Cooperation Agreement
NHS Invests Five Hundred Million Pounds in Artificial Intelligence Diagnostics to Reduce Waiting Lists
Bank of England Cuts Interest Rate to Three Point Seven Five Percent as Inflation Pressures Ease
Ceuta Border Surge Recasts Europe’s Migration Debate
Burnham Promises a Harder Channel Response as Crossings Test His New Government
Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games End With Organisers Defending Smaller Format as Sustainable Model
Reform UK Faces Labour Criticism Over Nigel Farage Leadership Return Discussions
Environment Agency Restricts River Thames Navigation as Low Water Levels Raise Concerns
UK Government Launches Free Bus Travel Scheme for Children During Summer Holidays
Chancellor Rachel Reeves Confirms October Budget Date and Plans Wider Regional Funding Shift
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Promises Tougher Action on Small Boat Crossings Amid European Migration Pressure
UK Economic Growth Forecast Raised Slightly as Inflation Expected to Remain Above Target Until 2029
National Farmers Union Warns of Food Shortage Risks as Drought and Heatwaves Damage UK Crops
Finland Deploys Commercial-Scale Thermal Batteries Using Crushed Rock to Store Renewable Grid Energy
Valued at $109 Million: F-35B Fighter Jet Crashes in Southern California
Sainsbury Agrees to Sell Argos in £120 Million Deal to Private Consortium
High Court Clears Way for Construction of Chinese Embassy at Royal Mint Court
UK Fuel Prices Climb to Multi-Month Highs as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Disrupt Oil Supplies
×