Petrol stations across Scotland have been forced to close today after running out of fuel ahead of the Easter weekend amid soaring prices.
Drivers have rushed to their local stations in large numbers over the last week as fuel costs increased to their highest level in years.
Many have been desperate to fill their tanks before prices climb any further after the Iran war badly disrupted the global oil supply.
But the high demand has caused forecourts across the country to now run completely out of fuel.
Disgusted shoppers slam supermarket after spotting turkey two weeks out of date
Motorists have been battling high prices at the pump since the conflict between Iran and the US began on February 28.
Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz to most commercial shipping after the conflict with the US, which is a key shipping route that around 20 percent of the world’s oil supply passes through each year.
And several petrol stations here in Scotland are now facing fuel shortages due to the demand from drivers, with many being forced to close.
Among them is the Asda petrol station in Ardrossan, Ayrshire, which was completely closed to drivers this morning due to fuel shortages.
Tesco Irvine, Ayrshire, had a number of pumps out of action before 9am this morning, but some were still in use. Drivers were facing the same situation at the nearby Tesco station in Kilbirnie.
One worker at the Kilbirnie station said: “We ran out of unleaded completely last night. Some pumps are still open but we are just a wee town and if people panic buy then it won’t take long for us to run out.”
Tesco on Glasgow Road in Camelon, Falkirk, appeared closed to drivers with a sign indicating that they had no unleaded fuel left.
The Gulf filling station in Dumbarton was also completely out of unleaded petrol and was deserted around 10:30 am this morning. It’s understood that the pumps went off around 5:30 pm on Wednesday evening.
Sainsbury’s at Great Western Retail Park in Glasgow was also completely out of diesel.
A station attendant told The Scottish Sun: “We’ve not long run out, just this morning. But everybody’s panic buying.”
Morrisons is making a major change to prices - and shoppers will be happy
A Morrisons fuel station at Anniesland, also in Glasgow, is completely out of unleaded petrol.
An attendant said: “Everybody’s getting panicked. They’re buying up all the fuel faster.
“We order our stock months in advance, so they come to us on their time.
“When a panic situation comes up and they’re buying all the petrol and production decreases, that’s how the shortage is created.
“Scheduled deliveries are on time. But we’re running out of fuel early because of the panic situation.
“We don’t have unleaded at all. We ran out last night, and diesel will also go out.”
Tesco Kilmarnock has also run out of diesel this afternoon, and the Tesco at Silverburn shut after it had no fuel left.
BP filling station at Kinross services on the M9 was still open to drivers with prices up to 198.9 for diesel.
Meanwhile, Tesco in the Kingsway area of Dundee had several pumps out of action today, with similar scenes at the Esso station at Lomondgate, Dumbarton.
Elsewhere, locals in Fife reported no petrol at the Morrisons in St Andrews and Tesco in Cupar on Thursday morning.
Yesterday, we reported how huge queues of cars were spotted at the fuel station at Costco in Glasgow’s Springburn on Tuesday.
Several of Sainsbury’s stations also ran out of unleaded petrol across Scotland over the last week – including the one located at Hamilton Retail Park in South Lanarkshire.
The Sainsbury’s filling station at Kingsgate in East Kilbride also ran out of unleaded petrol at several pumps on Tuesday.
A Tesco fuel station in Greenock also ran out of fuel on Monday last week.
Sainsbury’s told The Scottish Sun that it is monitoring stock levels in all locations and will resupply sites when needed.
Drivers have been warned of a “long-term” fuel shortage as the conflict continues to push petrol and diesel prices higher.
The RAC revealed that drivers were hit by the highest ever monthly petrol and diesel rises in March.
The cost of diesel rose by up to 40p in a month, around 18p more than the previous record set four years ago.
This surpassed the previous all-time biggest monthly jump of 16.6p seen at the end of June 2022 when petrol went up from 174.84p to 191.43p following concerns over supply because of the Ukraine war.
The painful hikes have added £11 to the cost of filling a 55-litre family car, which now stands at nearly £84 (£84.06).
Meanwhile, diesel drivers have seen £22 added with a tank topping £100 (£100.52).
Simon Williams, RAC head of policy, said the month had been “truly unprecedented”, with fuel prices never rising this fast in a single month.
“While this is the biggest pence-per-litre increase ever in a month, it’s not as great in real terms as those seen during the 1973 oil crisis when the price of a barrel quadrupled,” he added.
But drivers are not the only ones being rattled by the crisis, with energy bills forecast to soar by £288 a year from July due to the conflict in the Middle East, experts warned this week.
Fuels Industry UK CEO Elizabeth de Jong and the Executive Director of the Petrol Retailers Association, Gordon Balmer said: “The Easter Weekend is one of the busiest times on UK roads with lots of people planning to travel.
“Supply across the UK is flowing normally, and there is no need for any change in usual buying habits – if one forecourt is popular, there will be others to go to.”
Edmund King, AA president, said: “We suspect that some localized temporary fuel shortages are due to drivers flocking to the cheaper (generally supermarket) filling stations and filling up with more fuel than usual before the Easter weekend.
“Supplies are coming in as normal now, so there is plenty of fuel to go around. Again, we stress it is best for drivers to follow their normal refueling patterns.
“Using the AA App fuel finder, we have seen that prices do vary quite considerably, for example, a 9p per litre difference for petrol at different garages in Borders and Dumfries. Consequently, many drivers are flocking to the cheaper outlets.
“One thing all drivers can do is to slow down and adjust their driving style which can save the average driver 10 percent of their fuel, which equates to a £10 saving from a £100 tank of diesel.
“By slowing down by about 10 percent, for example, 63 mph on a motorway, drivers can save fuel without affecting the general flow of traffic.”
Road Haulage Association managing director, Richard Smith, said: “Rising fuel prices continue to be a huge challenge for HGV, coach, and van businesses who already typically operate on thin margins.
“Commercial vehicle firms are key economic enablers, and they’re seeing fuel costs rise significantly. The knock-on effect will be felt through the supply chain and by households as costs are passed on.
“Beyond rising costs, businesses across the sector are now raising concerns about continuity and confidence in reliable local fuel supply and delivery timelines.”
He added: “The Prime Minister says he’s keeping the fuel duty increase under review. We’ve moved beyond the review stage – our essential industry needs action on fuel.
“We’re clear: Scrap the fuel duty hike, back essential users with a targeted rebate, and publish a clear contingency plan for fuel supply. Without a credible Government contingency plan in place, disruption to the affordability, resilience, or availability of fuel will have a knock-on effect in communities across the country.”
Editor-in-Chief
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
