UK fuel plan allows purchase limits in severe disruption

The UK’s National Emergency Plan for Fuel includes possible purchase limits and shorter filling-station hours, but the government has not activated those measures. The plan says officials would consider them only if an incident threatened significant and widespread disruption to oil supplies. The contingency provisions have drawn attention as diesel prices approached a record. RAC figures put the UK average at 199.05 pence per litre on September 27, compared with 174.04 pence for petrol. RAC policy head Simon Williams forecast that diesel would exceed its previous record of 199.09 pence per litre. The reports do not confirm whether that subsequent increase occurred. The plan, maintained by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, sets out responses to a major fuel supply disruption in Great Britain. Its stated aim is to keep supplies as close to normal as possible. A maximum-purchase scheme could restrict how much road fuel a customer buys in one retail visit and could limit the hours when fuel is sold. Other options described in the plan include prioritising fuel for emergency services and public transport.