London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Sep 06, 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
OpenAI Unveils GPT-6 and Says: "We May Already Have Reached AGI"
Congressman Accused Andrew of Sex Crimes in the United States
Donald Trump: "I'm Glad Harry and Meghan Left the United States"
Spicy Food Is Linked to Lower Death Risk — but It Is Not a Miracle Cure
AfD Enters Saxony-Anhalt Election at 41% in Historic Test for German Politics
Gen Z Turns to Investing as America's First-Home Dream Moves Further Out of Reach
Thousands Join London March Calling for Tighter Abortion Restrictions
Institute of Directors Says Tax and Regulatory Uncertainty Still Weighs on UK Investment
Bank of England Faces Rate Dilemma as Weak Growth and Persistent Inflation Raise Stagflation Risks
Masked Anti-Immigration Protesters Block Roads to Port of Dover
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Sets Out Devolution and Re-Industrialisation Agenda
British Chambers of Commerce Forecasts UK Growth of Just 1% Through 2027
UK Government Advances Bill to Tighten Rules on Overseas Political Donations
Nigel Farage Faces Scrutiny Over Alleged Reform UK Donation-Law Evasion
Thousands Join Anti-Abortion March Through Central London
UK Beekeepers Call for Nationwide Tracking as Asian Hornet Sightings Increase
England Sees Sharp Rise in Property Subsidence Claims After Record Summer Heat
House of Lords Advances Financial Services Reform Bill
House of Lords Begins Detailed Scrutiny of Railways Bill and Great British Railways Plan
UK Treasury Cuts Green Book Discount Rate to Support More Regional Infrastructure Projects
Reform UK Suspends Two Senior Aides After Undercover Report on Foreign Donation Rules
UK Chancellor Warns Autumn Budget Will Require Tough Choices as Energy Shock Squeezes Public Finances
UK Parliament Raises Concerns Over Funding Structure of £400 Million Tropical Forest Initiative
Andy Burnham Launches Number 10 North as Part of UK Devolution Push
UK Reaffirms Falkland Islands Sovereignty Amid Renewed Regional Pressure
Andy Burnham to Abstain From Assisted Dying Vote as Ministers Are Told to Remain Neutral
Kemi Badenoch Sacks Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride in Conservative Economic Strategy Shake-Up
UK Government Drops Early Prisoner Release Plan in Favor of Deportations and Wider Prison Reform
UK Farmers Warn Drought-Hit Harvests Could Push Grocery Prices Higher
UK Economy Faces Persistent Stagflation Risks Ahead of October Budget
Masked Protesters Block Port of Dover Roads, Disrupting Cross-Channel Traffic
Reform UK Suspends Senior Officials After Undercover Investigation Into Foreign Donation Plans
UK Urges Households to Keep Emergency Supplies Amid Severe El Niño Warning
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Sets Out Regional Industry and Prison Reform Agenda
Siemens Energy Wins Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor Manufacturing Contract
UK Mortgage Costs Rise as Gilt Yields and Swap Rates Climb
Bank of England’s Huw Pill Calls for Prompt Rate Rise as Inflation Risks Persist
National Audit Office Warns UK Is Unprepared for Major Food Supply Disruptions
British Army Suspends Some Training Exercises as Budget Pressures Intensify
HMS Queen Elizabeth Deploys as NATO Allied Response Force Command Ship
Reform UK Suspends Two Senior Officials Over Alleged Foreign Donation Scheme
UK Reasserts Falkland Islands Sovereignty After Argentina Threatens Sanctions
Scottish Tech Company PureLifi Enters Administration With More Than 40 Job Losses
Scottish Government Names Alyn Smith Innovation and Education Minister
Green Party Co-Leader Zack Polanski to Contest By-Election for Keir Starmer’s Former Seat
Palestine Action Activists Appeal Terrorism-Related Prison Sentences
PwC Report Highlights Persistent Regional Spending-Power Divide Across Britain
UK Names Hundreds of Employers for Minimum Wage Violations
UK Commits £400 Million to International Tropical Forest Fund
UK Extends £2 Bus Fare Cap Across England Through 2027
×