Drivers were told there was “no fuel” when they tried to fill up earlier this afternoon
17:28, 30 Mar 2026Updated 22:41, 30 Mar 2026
No fuel at Sainsbury’s, Pensby Road, Heswall, Wirral, March 30(Image: Bob Shaw)
A Sainsbury’s petrol station in Wirral ran out of fuel this afternoon. At 1pm this afternoon (Monday, March 30), a sign was up at Pensby Road petrol station in Heswall which said: “No fuel at all.”
The makeshift sign was taped between two cones. Bob Shaw, from Pensby, took a picture of the sign. He told the ECHO there were “no queues but a lot of cars, vans etc pulling onto the forecourt, then driving away”. A worker at a Sainsbury’s nearby told the ECHO this evening he did not know whether the station was still out of fuel.
He confirmed that a “lot of customers” told him there was no petrol or diesel at the station yesterday.
The ECHO approached the petrol station and Sainsbury’s press office to ask whether the station is still out of fuel, and if so how long the outages will last and if other stations in the area were affected.
No fuel at Sainsbury’s, Pensby Road, Heswall, Wirral, March 30(Image: Bob Shaw)
The ECHO understands the petrol station is still out of fuel, and that Sainsbury’s are monitoring stock levels in all locations and continuing to resupply sites where needed. Queues were also spotted earlier this afternoon at Costco petrol station in Liverpool city centre.
Fuel prices have soared by more than 17p per litre since America launched its offensive on Iran in February. The cost of crude oil rose to over $100 a barrel earlier this month as the US and Israeli bombardment continued to spike global markets.
The average price of petrol on UK forecourts has now reached above 150p per litre. This falls in line with predictions made by energy experts at the beginning of March, when the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit said the historic link between oil and fuel prices shows oil trading at $100 a barrel for a prolonged period means petrol prices could reach this very amount. Further increases of $120 a barrel would result in UK petrol prices of about 170p per litre.
Across the UK, prices at the pumps vary considerably depending on where you are filling up your car. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told Sunday Morning Live yesterday that the public should listen to trade bodies, such as the RAC, and “fill up as normal”.
The government previously claimed it is primed to step in if there are signs petrol sellers are profiteering from the crisis – something the Petrol Retailers Association has denied, despite rocketing prices.
The cost of filling a typical family car with unleaded petrol is now £9.50 higher than a month ago, at more than £82. Diesel prices have also risen to an average of 177p per litre, meaning a tank of diesel costs £19 more than it used to, at more than £97.
This is because shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil supplies in Iran, has remained at an effective standstill since the outbreak of the war.
According to online petrol price tracker Fuel Finder UK, whose prices comes from the official UK Government feed, the following forecourts are the cheapest for petrol in and around Liverpool:
143.9p – Costco, Waterloo Road, Liverpool city centre143.9p – Tesco, Cables Retail Park, Steley Way, Prescot144.9p – Esso, Queens Drove, Stonycroft145.9p – Asda, Huyton Lane, Huyton145.9p – Sainsbury’s, Great Homer Street, Everton146.9p – Sainsburys, Rice Lane, Walton146.9p – Tesco, Hawthorne Road, Litherland