Who gets priority in a potential UK fuel rationing plan?

Conflict in Iran and supply issues on the Strait of Hormuz have caused petrol and diesel prices to go up.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that the disruption is the largest in the history of the global oil market.

The RAC shares that unleaded petrol has gone up 14.4p since the start of the Iran conflict, while diesel has gone up by 28.8p.

The government has stated that there is no shortage of fuel in the UK, with advice being to continue filling up as normal.

There are contingency plans in place under the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) if fuel rationing were needed.

In that scenario, some people might be curious to see what services would get priority.

What services would get priority in a UK fuel rationing plan?

The National Emergency Plan for Fuel was last updated by the DESNZ in April 2024.

Emergency and critical service vehicles would receive priority access to fuel in this scenario.

Utilities such as gas and electricity suppliers and water companies would have the next priority, followed by public transport vehicles.

Commercial vehicles would be up next, specifically ones fulfilling duties such as delivering food to supermarkets and making health-related deliveries.

Meanwhile, private drivers would face restrictions on how much fuel they could buy per filling station visit, and pumps could be closed overnight.

In an extreme scenario, the Government has the power to allocate how crude oil and other imported oil products are distributed across the UK entirely.

These measures would only be activated in a severe national shortage.

The Guardian shares that further elements of contingency plans could see speed limits cut by up to 10mph on some roads to lower fuel consumption.

This could be implemented on some motorways, where signage is also adjusted electronically on major routes.

However, the DESNZ is understood to be confident that the UK has a diverse and resilient fuel supply.

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Jack Cousens, the head of roads policy at the AA, said: “Drivers should be assured that there are good fuel supplies and people should not change their fuelling habits.

“Nevertheless, advice to drive as efficiently as possible is something that drivers could adopt at all times to save both fuel and money.

“Reducing speed and braking less harshly are beneficial.

“Similarly, linking journeys together contributes to saving fuel.”

How much have fuel prices gone up in your area? Let us know in the comments.