UK petrol stations report ‘fuel shortages’ as Asda hits back at Rachel Reeves
Some petrol and diesel pumps have been left bare, with shortages now being seen at fuel stations across the country.
UK supermarket petrol stations are noticing "temporary shortages” as the UK’s fuel crisis continues. Allan Leighton, executive chairman of major UK supermarket chain Asda, stressed that pumps had seen bumper demand from drivers in recent weeks as he also took a swipe at Rachel Reeves.
The Asda boss admitted that petrol and diesel shortages had affected "the odd pump" at a small number of its forecourts across the UK due to the volume of drivers topping-up their cars. He confirmed that any issues are only temporary, with shortages only set to last until deliveries of more stock are made available.
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It comes after some motorists have reported they are struggling to fill-up at petrol stations, with fuel pumps left dry.
Allan explained: "Our fuel volumes are up quite significantly and clearly demand has been outstripping supply. Supply is tight and we are all trying hard on that. The issue is a temporary one, and some could see issues when we are waiting for delivery, and we can expect to see that continue.
"The spikiness at the moment makes this tricky for us, as spikes can lead to temporary shortages. These are temporary and are addressed very quickly."
Labour have suggested that petrol station retailers were profiting from the crisis, something firmly rejected by the ASDA boss. Instead, Allan seemed to point the finger at Rachel Reeves’ as he suggested it was the Chancellor who was cashing in instead.
Allan said: “Our margin will be down as a result. It is very clear this is not the case. People ask where the money is going and the Government are getting a lot of money off the back of this."
Asda is not the only store affected, with some of the UK’s biggest retailers caught out by the crisis. Earlier this week, motorists arriving at Tesco Superstore in Worcester met a sign informing road users there was “no fuel available” with traffic cones blocking the pumps.
On Monday, traffic management system INRIX reported there was “no fuel available at the lorry pumps” on the M1 Northbound at Woodall Services. Welcome Break also explained they were experiencing stockouts of fuel on a small number of their sites.
Last week, The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) told Express.co.uk that petrol stations in the UK are well-stocked and any suggestion otherwise is incorrect.
They explained that fuel production and imports were continuing across the UK as usual with no issues reported. UK fuel costs have dramatically increased in recent weeks, with data from RAC Fuel Watch estimating unleaded petrol was up 17p per litre and diesel rising 34.3p per litre.
