As fuel prices shot up motorists cut back on road trips so they could fill up less often and put smaller amounts of petrol into their tanks. Petrol prices soared following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, contributing to the rising cost of living crisis facing the UK.
That sparked an initial rush for fuel, with many filling stations witnessing queues of drivers waiting to fill up their tanks as customers anticipated price increases and possible shortages. Government figures show that sales of petrol went up by 12% during the week ending February 27, compared to the previous week, and were 41% higher than in the same period of 2021. At the same time, the average customer put 6% more fuel into their tank per transaction compared to the previous year.
Over the next few weeks, sales remained high at around 36% above the previous year, while a regular survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the number of people experiencing fuel shortages increased from 8% to 20% within two weeks in April. But since then, as prices increased and consumers have faced other pressures brought by the cost of living crisis, petrol sales have slumped.
