Who gets priority in UK fuel rationing as Government draws up plans amongst warning of some food shortages

Weston-super-Mare, like the rest of the country could soon see significant changes in their ability to obtain fuel as plans for petrol and diesel rationing are primed and ready to be deployed by the government should the ongoing Middle East crisis continue to disrupt supplies and drive prices higher.

The warning comes as it also became public that Emergency Government meetings have been held to prepare for a “worse case scenario” of food shortages if the war in Iran continues. This comes as the public are warned of the risk of shortages of some foods including chicken and pork due to a shortage of CO2 gas.

Government contingency plans, drawn up by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero under its National Emergency Plan for Fuel, outline precisely how rationing would operate in practice and who would receive priority access.

The National Emergency Plan for Fuel sets out who gets first dibs on fuel.

Emergency services and 'critical service vehicles' would take top priority over all other motorists, according to the plan. Utility providers, including gas, electricity and water companies, would come next, followed by public transport operators such as bus services and diesel trains.

Commercial vehicles would follow, including lorries transporting food to and from supermarkets, along with health-related delivery services. Additionally, ordinary motorists could face limitations on how much petrol they're able to purchase at once, while also potentially encountering reduced opening times at filling stations.

The document 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."

Louisa James, Political Correspondent at ITV's Good Morning Britain, said;

"There are experts warning that a severe shortage of oil and gas is now just weeks away. 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.

"A government source told us that the UK has 'a diverse and resilient' supply of fuel, that petrol stations are well stocked, that imports are arriving