A petrol station in Carmarthen, Wales, imposes a £45 limit on fuel purchases after drivers stockpile petrol in large cans for garage storage amid rising Middle East tensions.
Tanerdy Garage Responds to Panic Buying
Steve Smith, owner of the family-run Tanerdy Garage, reports that customers arrived with 7-litre cans to fill with petrol. To avoid running out of supply, the station introduced the cap last week, limiting buyers to £45 worth of petrol or diesel—roughly half the cost to fill a typical family car in the UK.
Prominent signs on the forecourt warn: “LIMIT £45. Panic buying is not necessary and will cause shortages. Only 5 litre fuel cans are allowed. Your understanding and co-operation will be appreciated.”
Smith explains the surge: “Where there is an issue with supply, people get very concerned that there will be a shortage of fuel. People were coming up with six or seven litre drums to fill with fuel to put in their garage. We sold 40% more fuel than usual over a period of about three days last week. You can’t magic up 40% more fuel. So the idea of the sign was to limit the amount anyone can take at one moment.”
Fuel Prices Climb Sharply
The station currently offers unleaded petrol at 136.9p per litre and diesel at 154.9p per litre. Unleaded prices have increased by 3.5p per litre since the Middle East conflict erupted earlier this month, triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Oil prices surpassed $100 a barrel on Thursday following Iran’s attacks on fuel tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route. Drivers face long queues at stations nationwide despite warnings against hoarding.
Luke Bosdet, AA spokesman on pump prices, urges calm: “There is no need for drivers to refuel any differently than normal.”
With prices continuing to rise, other UK stations may adopt similar restrictions to manage demand.
