Fall in petrol and diesel stocks at UK filling stations since Iran conflict

Stocks of petrol and diesel at filling stations in the UK have fallen since the start of the Iran conflict, though the size of the drop varies across the country, figures show.

Petrol stock levels at garages averaged between 44% and 47% in the four weeks leading up to the start of the war on February 28.

But in the four weeks beginning March 1, levels across the UK averaged between 36% and 43%, according to data published on Thursday by the Department for Energy & Net Zero.

Levels dropped to 36% – the lowest since December 2022 – on three days: March 4, 6 and 7, all in the early stages of the war, then recovered slightly to around 40% in the second half of the month.

The figures suggest the drop in petrol stocks has been driven by increased demand, rather than a fall in supply.

Petrol deliveries to UK filling stations averaged 7,333 litres per day in the four weeks from March 1, higher than the average of 7,071 litres per day in the previous four weeks up to February 28.

Petrol sales have increased by a larger amount, averaging 7,615 litres per day in the four weeks from March 1, up from 7,139 litres in the preceding four weeks.

A Department of Energy spokesperson said: “Petrol stations in the UK are being supplied as normal and we have a diverse and resilient supply.

“Both the AA and Fuels Industry UK have been clear that fuel production and imports are continuing across the UK as usual with no issues being reported.”

The figures show there has been sharp variation in petrol stocks in different parts of the UK, with average levels in Northern Ireland hitting a low of 26% on March 28 and South West England recording a low of 31% on the same day.

By contrast, petrol stocks dipped only as low as 38% in London and 37% in North West England in the first four weeks of the war.

The Department of Energy figures are based on snapshots of petrol and diesel levels from a sample of around 4,900 filling stations across the UK, covering more than four fifths of typical sales.

Diesel stocks at UK garages were stable in the four weeks up to February 28, averaging between 47% and 52%, then fell quickly from 49% on March 1 to 37% on March 6.

In the second half of the month the average recovered slightly to around 42%.

While stocks of diesel touched lows of only 41% in North East England and Scotland during the first four weeks of the war, the figure fell as low as 35% in the East Midlands, Northern Ireland, South West England and the West Midlands.

Separate figures published on Thursday by the RAC show the average price of petrol and diesel in the UK is continuing to rise.

The average price of a litre of unleaded petrol stood at 158.0p on Thursday, up 25.2p or 19% since the start of the Iran conflict.

A litre of diesel now averages 191.1p, up 48.7p or 34% since the beginning of the war.