Supermarkets insist they have enough fuel to keep pumps open despite worried drivers panic-buying fuel this morning.
Queues of drivers were spotted today at petrol stations in Brighton, Kent and Leeds.
BP, Esso and Tesco have closed small numbers of their petrol stations due to a lack of lorry drivers to deliver the fuel.
But, despite some closures, AA fuel expert Edmund King said there is enough fuel to keep the nation stocked.
“There is no shortage of fuel and thousands of forecourts are operating normally with just a few suffering temporary supply chain problems," he said.
“Fridays and the weekend always tend to be busier on forecourts as drivers either combine filling up with shopping runs, prepare for weekend trips or refuel for the start of the new working week.
“Drivers should not fill up outside their normal routines because, even if the occasional petrol station is temporarily closed, others just down the road will be open.
“It is now clear that there have been occasional delays over recent weeks that have been managed with hardly anyone noticing. This was a manageable problem.
“Meanwhile road fuel demand is down to 92% of pre-pandemic levels according to monitoring by the Government.
“Also, the average pump price of petrol has risen half a penny in the past two days when it should be 2.5p lower after cheaper E10 (10% ethanol) became the standard petrol on forecourts on 1 September.”
Sainsbury's
A spokesperson for the supermarket said it had "no current issues".
They added: "We’re closely monitoring the situation and working closely with our supplier to maintain fuel supply."
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The Co-op
A Co-op spokesperson said "We have a full complement of drivers delivering fuel to our petrol forecourts and no issues to report."
Asda
The supermarket's forecourts are all open with "no changes to supply", a spokesperson said.
Morrisons
The supermarket is "not seeing any issues at the moment," a spokesperson said.
But drivers are being warned not to overreact and panic buy fuel.
A spokesman for the prime minister said the government acknowledged that there were "issues facing many industries across the UK, and not just in terms of HGV drivers".
He added that there was no shortage of fuel and that there was a "very resilient and robust supply chain".
"People should continue to shop for fuel as usual," the spokesman said.
BP said it had been forced to close a number of forecourts across the country because of the problem.
Tesco said two of the 500 petrol stations it operates are currently affected but said the impact is minimal.
Meanwhile Esso said a "small number" of its 200 Tesco Alliance retail sites - operated jointly with the supermarket chain and separate from the two run by Tesco itself – are affected.
Hoyer, one of the UK’s largest fuel logistics companies, revealed it was "struggling to meet deliveries".
It cannot find enough tanker drivers to make fuel deliveries and was said to be typically 20 short of the 400 to 450 a day needed.
Hofer said the petrol giant was down to two thirds of the "normal forecourt stock levels" needed to ensure "smooth operations."
She added this level of stock is "declining rapidly". It's currently unknown how long stations will be unable to operate.
Petrol stations on motorways and major roads are being prioritised for fuel deliveries.
BP will "very soon" stop supplying several stations with petrol for 36 hours each week.
The company's plan for the low stock involves providing 80% of normal service to 90% of stations.
Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers' Association - which represents independent forecourts across the UK, said the issue appeared to be "confined to London and the South-East and appear temporary by nature".
An official statement said: "We are experiencing fuel supply issues at some of our retail sites in the UK and unfortunately have therefore seen a handful of sites temporarily close due to a lack of both unleaded and diesel grades."
