GB road-fuel sales remain below pre-pandemic levels

The country’s gasoline and diesel volumes struggle to reach February 2020 demand

Sales of gasoline and diesel at sampled filling stations in England, Scotland and Wales averaged 15,100l/d in December, up by 9.5pc from the same month in 2020 (see Fig.1), according to the latest data from the UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis). But demand remained in the 15,000-16,000l/d range that has been observed since April of last year—apart from September, when panic buying of fuel due to fears over shortages saw average daily sales jump to over 35,000l late in the month and dragged the monthly average above 18,000l/d. For all months without this rush to the pumps, demand remained lower than the c.17,700l/d observed in February 2020, the only full pre