Motorists across the United Kingdom are being urged to maintain their normal refuelling habits and avoid panic buying, as escalating tensions in the Middle East drive a significant increase in global oil prices. Industry chiefs have reassured the public that the UK has sufficient fuel reserves, and any rise in petrol costs will be gradual rather than immediate.
Oil Prices Spike Amid Regional Conflict
The ongoing conflict in Iran, along with missile and drone attacks across Israel and Arab nations, has sparked concerns over potential fuel shortages. This turmoil has caused Brent crude prices to surge by approximately $9 to $84 per barrel, marking a sharp 12% hike. Despite this, motoring organisations emphasise that there is no repeat of the 2022 panic-buying frenzy anticipated, and they advise drivers to stay calm.
Petrol Retailers Address Increased Sales
Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association, which represents outlets selling around 65% of the UK's fuel, acknowledged a 30% surge in sales on Monday. However, he clarified that this does not indicate panic buying or forecourts running out of fuel. "There's plenty of fuel in the UK," Balmer stated. "The latest data suggest some people are filling up in anticipation of a pump price increase. We would ask people to continue to buy fuel in their normal buying pattern because any price increases will take time to filter through to the pump."
Current Fuel Prices and Industry Calls for Fairness
According to the latest RAC Fuel Watch, average UK pump prices currently stand at 132.86p per litre for petrol and 142.44p per litre for diesel. RAC head of policy Simon Williams noted that wholesale fuel costs have been rising "gradually in recent weeks" and urged retailers to act fairly. "We really shouldn’t see a shock jump in prices at the pumps … knowing the tendency for price increases to be passed on far more quickly than cuts, on behalf of drivers we urge retailers not to put up the price of fuel they’ve already got in forecourt tanks and reflect any increases in wholesale fuel fairly," he said.
Comparisons to Previous Years and Future Outlook
The AA highlighted that petrol remains about 6.5p per litre cheaper than a year ago, making a typical fill-up more than £3.50 cheaper than in early March 2025. AA president Edmund King acknowledged that prices would "inevitably increase" in the coming weeks but stressed: "There is no need for drivers to break their refuelling routine." This reassurance comes despite online images of long queues at petrol stations, which operators maintain are under control and not indicative of a supply crisis.
