Tanker carrying 4.5 million litres of fuel waiting to dock

Forecourts prepare to replenish stocks as diesel prices rise

A shipping tanker carrying 4.5 million litres of fuel is waiting off the east coast of the Island.

Ellan Vannin Fuels says its latest shipment will arrive into Peel overnight after poor weather conditions over the past three days have prevented it from doing so.

The price of diesel has skyrocketed at the majority of pumps on the Island today (30 March); the effect of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Queues have been stretching out of forecourts, with diesel now costing 185.9p per litre at certain garages.

Stocks of diesel at some stations ran out over the weekend, with Spar Isle of Man - which has five forecourts on the Island - providing rolling updates on where stocks had been replenished.

Over the weekend, Laxey Towing Company confirmed it piloted a tanker carrying fuel for Manx Petroleum into Douglas on Saturday (28 March).
EVF has kept its price at 137.9p per litre at its Peel Road station, though restricted purchases to £20.

It's now down to its last few thousand litres.

When asked when it will update its pricing at the forecourts, EVF says it will have a better idea about what the updated price will be tomorrow (31 March), with 'final pricing' applied on Wednesday (1 April).

Last week, Chief Minister Alfred Cannan warned that the 'upward pressure affecting international fuel markets' had begun feeding through into the Island’s fuel supply.

It's understood that Mr Cannan will deliver a further statement to the House of Keys tomorrow.

Government has issued a statement to Manx Radio via a spokesperson.

It says: "The Isle of Man Government welcomes the recent arrival of vehicle fuel deliveries to the Island. 

"These deliveries will alleviate the reduced diesel stocks experienced in recent days, which were affected both by adverse weather conditions and a temporary increase in demand.

"Throughout this period, Government officials have remained in regular contact with suppliers to monitor the situation and we appreciate the continued work of providers to restock the Island.

"The Government expects fuel pricing to stabilise by the middle of the week and to remain steady for the next month, in line with the Island’s established monthly pricing cycle.

"The Chief Minister will also address a question on this matter in the House of Keys tomorrow, providing a broader update on the position. The Government will continue to keep the situation under constant review."

"Good news and bad news"

In an update this evening (7pm) Ellan Vannin Fuels says the tanker is approaching Peel, but the fuel it contains will be 'newly priced product'.

It adds that there are no planned restrictions on purchasing fuel.

Replying to comments on its social media post, EVF say: "It’s frustrating as none of us want to be in this situation. Contrarily to a few experts on socials we prefer lower prices as we sell more that way, let’s hope it drops before next shipment.

"To be fair to the refiners they do small batches for the island as it’s not blended with ethanol or fame,

"Let’s hope some grown ups get round the table and start to resolve the issues in the Middle East."