Diesel and petrol could be rationed and a new 50mph max speed limit could be introduced across all of the UK.
Diesel prices across the UK reach over £2 per litre at fuel stations
Contingency plans held by government to help the country cope with potential shortages of diesel could be put back on the table as prices at the pump hit a record high this weekend.
The RAC has predicted that diesel will break its all-time price record in the UK this weekend following the continuation of conflict between the US and Iran. Right now, prices are averaring an eyewatering 199.05p per litre for diesel and 174.04p for petrol, as of Sunday, September 27, according to the breakdown experts’ live price tracker.
Simon Williams, the RAC’s head of policy, has forecast “the record of 199.09p will almost certainly be surpassed over the weekend”, as Labour‘s conference gets under way and indeed the average prices are just 0.4p per litre away.
Reports from Sky News suggest the UK had just 42 days of diesel left as of July, the lowest among developed nations aside from Australia.
Back in March, as the conflict first broke out, a Labour Treasury minister refused to rule out petrol rationing in the wake of the crisis, and government plans set out by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero under its National Emergency Plan for Fuel show exactly how rationing would work in practice should it be implemented.
Petrol and diesel could be rationed and speed limits put in place. (Image: Getty)
With diesel prices set to break records amid supply concerns, the contingency plans by government could theoretically be used for diesel in future. These plans include priority filling for emergency services and public transport and temporary speed limit reductions down to 50mph.
Louisa James, Political Correspondent at ITV’s Good Morning Britain, said back in March: “As you would expect the government has emergency plans in place which will be activated in the event of a severe disruption. Those are published online and they include things like petrol rationing, giving emergency services and public transport priority for fuel. Also reportedly a temporary 50mph speed limit to reduce demand for fuel.”
The National Emergency Plan for Fuel says: “The majority of potential fuel supply disruptions can be addressed by measures to help industry maintain fuel supply; these would be deployed by DESNZ in co-ordination with industry and other government departments.
“However, the government does have emergency powers under the Energy Act 1976, which it can use to control supply and demand of petroleum products. It should be noted that use of these emergency powers is reserved for the most severe of disruptions.
“These measures would only be activated in the event of a severe national fuel supply shortage.
- Designated Filling Station scheme: Emergency and critical service vehicles would be given priority access to road fuel from filling stations designated by the relevant Local Resilience Forum (Resilience Partnership in Scotland).
- Bulk Distribution Scheme: Oil companies and fuel distributors can be directed to prioritise the delivery of bulk petroleum products to critical services such as emergency services, utilities and public transport.
- Commercial Distribution Scheme: Oil companies and fuel distributors can be directed to prioritise the supply of road diesel to the commercial vehicles sector to support the operation of key supply chains, such as food and health.
- Maximum Purchase Scheme: This restricts the sale of road fuels at retail filling stations to the public to a maximum amount per visit to ensure that all motorists have access to some fuel. The scheme can also limit the hours in which road fuels can be sold.
- Crude Oil and Imported Product Allocation Scheme: Government can formally allocate crude oil and other imported oil products within the UK.
The National Emergency Plan for Fuel (NEP-F) document details when such measures could be activated: “Only when an incident has the potential to cause significant and widespread disruption to oil supply will government consider activating measures within the NEP-F. The decision to activate the measures in the NEP-F can only be taken at a national level and would be led by DESNZ, as the government department responsible for energy resilience.
“Local Resilience Fora and relevant organisations providing essential services are expected to have robust business continuity plans in place that take into account of their own local and organisational context. Business continuity plans should align in principle to the NEP-F but not rely on early activation of the NEP-F measures.”