Bigger emergencies
Fuel and food shortages: stocking up without panic buying
Short answerKeep about three days of water and food you normally eat, built up a little at a time and checked every six months. When a shortage scare starts, buy as normal. Past UK shortages were made much worse by lots of people buying a little extra at once.
6months: how often the government's Be Ready checklist says to check your supplies and swap anything near its date.
Last checked 28 October 2026. Based on GOV.UK Be Ready, the Health and Safety Executive and the Food Standards Agency.
What happened last time
- Fuel, September 2021. The government said there was no national shortage of fuel and that refinery stocks were high. A shortage of tanker drivers plus a sudden rush to fill up left many pumps dry, and military drivers were brought in.
- Food, March 2020. At the start of Covid there was plenty of stock, but the average household spent about £63 extra in four weeks. Most people were not bulk buying. Lots of people buying a little more emptied the shelves.
- Vegetables, February 2023. Bad weather in Spain and Morocco led supermarkets to limit tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers for a few weeks.
The calm way to stock up
- Start with what you already have, then add a few items on each normal shop to spread the cost.
- Choose food your household already eats that needs no fridge or cooking: tins, dried fruit, nuts. Your household plan works out the amounts.
- Every six months, use up anything near its date and replace it.
- Know the labels. "Use by" is about safety, so do not eat food after it. "Best before" is about quality, and tinned and dried food is usually fine after it.
- Order repeat prescriptions at least 5 working days before you run out.
During a scare
Buy as you normally would, and only fill up when you need fuel. That was the government's advice in 2021, and it is what stops a local rush turning into empty pumps.
Keeping petrol at home
If you do keep spare petrol, the law limits it. You can store up to 30 litres at home without telling anyone, in approved containers: plastic up to 10 litres, metal up to 20 litres. Never keep it in your living space, such as the kitchen, a bedroom or under the stairs, and fill containers outdoors.
Sources
- GOV.UK Be Ready: checklist (October 2026)
- GOV.UK: measures to ease fuel supply pressures (27 September 2021)
- GOV.UK: military fuel deliveries (2 October 2021)
- Which?: the truth behind grocery stockpiling (8 April 2020)
- ITV News: supermarkets lift limits on fresh produce (9 March 2023)
- GOV.UK: best before and use by dates
- Health and Safety Executive: storing petrol (updated July 2026)