Drivers in parts of southern England have been affected by diesel supply issues.
The shortage had been caused by climate protests blocking major fuel depots, exacerbating existing supply issues due to increased demand post-Covid lockdowns and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has urged people to continue buying fuel as normal.
A BEIS spokesperson said: “All fuel supply points are fully operational and we are working closely with industry to ensure that supplies are maintained. The public should continue to purchase fuel as normal.”
If you are struggling to source fuel here are some tips for finding petrol stations with diesel near you.
Where can I find diesel?
One trick for finding a petrol station that likely has is good supply is by searching on Google.
If you search petrol stations near you on Google Maps and then click on the individual stations, you can see how busy they are in live time.
If a station has a large bar for the current time and is either busy or busier than average, that means there is likely fuel in stock.
A station that has a small bar and is less busy than usual may be out of fuel.
To find the most affordable fuel in your area you can use confused.com’s online checker.
Simply select the type of fuel you need and enter your postcode and it will tell you the cheapest stations on your area.
You can then cross-check these with Google Maps to make sure they have supply.
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Why is there a diesel shortage?
Climate activism groups Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion have teamed up to block key terminals across the country the protest the environmental impact of oil and gas.
The action groups said they want to disrupt fuel supplies to London and the South East of England and will continue to do so until the Government agrees to stop all new fossil fuel investments immediately.
Diesel supplies were already tight, as global stocks of diesel and other middle distillates have fallen to the lowest seasonal level since 2008, due to refinery shutdowns during the start of the pandemic and a rise in demand since.
The war in Ukraine has exacerbated this, due to sanctions placed on Russia.
Russia supplied 18 per cent of the UK’s diesel in 2020, and finding alternative supplies to replace this is very difficult, as many other countries are simultaneously attempting to wean themselves off Russian energy supplies.
A spokesperson for UK Petroleum Industry Association (UKPIA) told Reuters fuel suppliers are working with the Government to deliver the fuels the UK needs “while adjusting long-term supply routes to reduce reliance on Russian crude oil and oil products”.