Almost £200,000 of fuel stolen from UK forecourts every day since Iran war began

Since the onset of the Iran war, UK drivers have been stealing approximately £200,000 worth of fuel daily from petrol stations, according to industry analysis. The number of such incidents has risen by a fifth in the five months since the conflict began, as reported by Forecourt Eye. The Middle East conflict disrupted oil supplies, leading to a surge in wholesale prices and subsequently at the pump in the UK.

The value of stolen fuel has increased by 48% compared to the five months before the war, estimated at £194,000 per day. Forecourt Eye's study, based on 550 forecourts, suggests that 2,872 daily incidents now occur on average, up from 2,400 before the war. These incidents involve drivers driving off without payment or claiming they have no way to pay.

The volume of stolen fuel has risen by 24%, from an estimated 87,000 litres to 108,900 litres daily. Forecourt Eye plans to partner with Facewatch to offer free access to crime reporting technology to more than 2,000 retailers in the autumn. Fuel prices peaked in April, then decreased with the signing of a framework deal in June, but have since risen again, reaching new highs since the conflict began.

The government has promised to act on any price gouging, although there is no significant evidence of this. Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and some ministers have also vowed to step in if customers are being ripped off. Fuel retailers have denied accusations of price gouging, with the Petrol Retailers Association criticizing the government's language.

The Competition and Markets Authority is investigating why fuel margins increased between February and March, but have not found widespread evidence of price gouging. The British Retail Consortium maintains that competition between supermarkets has kept prices as low as possible, and that many extra costs are due to increased National Insurance contributions and packaging taxes.