Is there a fuel shortage in London 2022? Why some petrol stations have no diesel or petrol - where to get it

Some petrol stations in London are reportedly facing shortages, as frustrated citizens take to social media to see if others are facing the same problem.

It comes just months after the widely publicised fuel shortage crisis in 2021, where petrol stations up and down the country were struggling to supply fuel, as a shortage of HGVdrivers delivering fuel sparked mass panic buying.

Fuel has been a topic for some time now, as prices have soared since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, causing a chain reaction that saw prices reach as high as £2-plus per litre.

And now, it seems as if many Londoners are once again struggling to get fuel, but this time for a different reason.

So, why is there a fuel shortage in London?

Is there a shortage?

Despite not being on the scale witnessed in September 2021, there are definitely some problems with supply in the capital. One worker at a BP garage in Redbridge, South London explained on April 10, 2022 that they have a shortage. He said: “We haven’t had any deliveries for around a week.”

One Twitter user from London, tweeted on April 9: “Is anyone else experiencing fuel shortages? My area has had very little petrol or diesel for a couple of weeks. Today messages in the local Facebook group asking if anyone knows when they can get some diesel as it looks like the town is dry!”

This sparked a couple of responses, with another London user saying “Couldn’t get unleaded in or around SW19 yesterday”.

SW19 refers to the Wimbledon district in London.

A verified twitter user tweeted at eight minutes past midnight on April 12, 2022 that two out of the two petrol stations he visited had no fuel available.

Where can I get fuel?

A BP garage on Vauxhall Bridge Road confirmed that they still have fuel available, and are not running low.

When attempting to contact a Tesco filling station in London, an automated answer machine at the Tesco, Brent Cross store said: “Just to let you know, we have fuel deliveries arriving all the time for all grades of fuel.”

So, it would appear that the mini shortage is not on the scale we witnessed seven months ago, although it may be worth calling your local garage just to enquire if fuel is available, to possibly save a trip.

Why is there a fuel shortage?

Since the turn of the month of April, activists from Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil have been blocking access to oil terminals, with some of them sitting down in front of fuel tankers, and some even reportedly glueing themselves to the road.

Just Stop Oil first made headlines in mid-March, when a protester attended the Premier League fixture of Everton v Newcastle United, and during the second half of the match, the protester ran onto the field, successfully zip tying himself to the goalpost, a move which garnered national attention.

Extinction Rebellion also made headlines recently, as two people hung from the Tower Bridge in London by suspension cords and released red flares.

On Sunday (April 10) hundreds of protesters blocked Vauxhall and Lambeth bridges, which resulted in 38 arrests.

The group have also urged their supporters to book time off and free themselves up for a number of protests they have planned, that may run up to April 17.