The figures suggest the drop in petrol stocks has been driven by increased demand, rather than a fall in supply. 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. Supplies of diesel to UK filling stations have increased since the start of the conflict, not fallen, though demand has risen by a greater amount, mirroring the trend in the figures for petrol. Sales of diesel averaged 8,458 litres per day from March 1, compared with 8,013 litres per day in the period to February 28. Separate figures published on Thursday by the RAC show the average price of petrol and diesel in the UK is continuing to rise.

Source: The Herald April 09, 2026 11:16 UTC