Government contingency plans designed to help the UK deal with potential diesel shortages could be revisited as fuel prices hit an all-time high this weekend. The RAC has forecast that diesel will smash its previous price record in the UK this weekend, amid ongoing conflict between the US and Iran. As of Sunday, September 27, prices are averaging 199.05p per litre for diesel and 174.04p for petrol, according to the breakdown service's live price tracker.
Record prices forecast
Simon Williams, the RAC's head of policy, has predicted "the record of 199.09p will almost certainly be surpassed over the weekend", as Labour's conference kicks off and indeed the average prices are just 0.4p per litre away. Sky News reports suggest that as of July, the UK had only 42 days' worth of diesel left — the lowest among developed nations apart from Australia.
Back in March, when the conflict first erupted, a Labour Treasury minister did not rule out the possibility of petrol rationing in response to the crisis. Government plans drawn up by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero under its National Emergency Plan for Fuel outline exactly how such rationing would operate if it were to be introduced, reports the Express.
Contingency measures outlined
With diesel prices poised to smash records due to supply worries, the government's contingency measures could theoretically be deployed for diesel in the future. These measures include priority fuel access for emergency services and public transport, plus temporary speed limit cuts to 50mph.
Louisa James, Political Correspondent at ITV's Good Morning Britain, said back in March: "As you would expect the government has emergency plans in place which will be activated in the event of a severe disruption. Those are published online and they include things like petrol rationing, giving emergency services and public transport priority for fuel. Also reportedly a temporary 50mph speed limit to reduce demand for fuel."
Emergency powers under the Energy Act 1976
The National Emergency Plan for Fuel states: "The majority of potential fuel supply disruptions can be addressed by measures to help industry maintain fuel supply; these would be deployed by DESNZ in co-ordination with industry and other government departments. However, the government does have emergency powers under the Energy Act 1976, which it can use to control supply and demand of petroleum products. It should be noted that use of these emergency powers is reserved for the most severe of disruptions. These measures would only be activated in the event of a severe national fuel supply shortage."
The National Emergency Plan for Fuel (NEP-F) document outlines the circumstances under which such measures could be triggered: "Only when an incident has the potential to cause significant and widespread disruption to oil supply will government consider activating measures within the NEP-F. The decision to activate the measures in the NEP-F can only be taken at a national level and would be led by DESNZ, as the government department responsible for energy resilience."
Local Resilience Fora and relevant organisations providing essential services are expected to have robust business continuity plans in place that take into account of their own local and organisational context. Business continuity plans should align in principle to the NEP-F but not rely on early activation of the NEP-F measures.
A spokesperson for DESNZ stated: "We have a diverse and resilient supply. We continue to engage with our international partners and the UK fuel industry."
