how panic buying cripples Britain – and how long it could last Business

Why are there soldiers at gas stations?

The military has now been called in to help deliver fuel to gas stations as the country continues to grapple with supply shortages.

Soldiers in riot gear were seen arriving at a BP storage depot after the government called in the military to deal with a shortage of truck drivers. Nearly 200 soldiers, half of whom are drivers, have been enlisted to help on a temporary basis.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak told LBC: “As an added precaution we have put in additional pilots.

“The situation is improving now for, I think, more than a week every day… it is improving and as demand returns to more normal levels, there is a strong expectation that things will resolve themselves. ‘themselves. “

The troops have been on standby since last week and have received specialized training in managing fuel deliveries.

When will the gasoline shortage end?

Fuel suppliers have tried to reassure consumers that the crisis will be short-lived. Retailers like BP, Shell and Esso issued a joint statement saying they expected demand to return to normal levels “in the coming days.”

“There is a lot of fuel in UK refineries and terminals, and as an industry we are working closely with the government to ensure that the fuel is available for delivery to stations across the country,” he said. they stated.

“As many cars now contain more fuel than usual, we expect demand to return to normal levels in the coming days, easing the pressure on gas station forecourts. We encourage everyone to buy fuel as usual. “

BP had previously said it hoped fuel stocks on the forecourt would stabilize and start to replenish at some point next month.

What happens to fuel prices?

The average price of a liter of gasoline fell from 135.87 pence on Friday to 136.59 pence on Sunday – the highest level since September 2013 – according to the RAC. Diesel is 138.58 per liter.

Oil prices hit a three-year high as global production disruptions forced energy companies to remove large amounts of crude from storage, while a shortage of natural gas in Europe pushed up costs on the whole continent.

As demand for oil exceeds supply, this could lead to higher wholesale prices for suppliers, which in turn is likely to be passed on to motorists.

RAC Fuel spokesperson Simon Williams said: “We may still see higher parking prices in the next few days, regardless of current supply issues. We also know that a small number of retailers take advantage of the current delivery situation by raising prices, we would remind drivers to always compare the price they are asked to pay with current UK averages. “