In the 1970s, we were told that fossil fuels were not infinite and renewable. In the 1980s and 1990s, we were told that we would run out of fuel. That sent the climate changers and environmentalists into a new agenda. We would die off as a species if we didn’t have fuel. We needed to find a solution and increased usage of electricity was the answer.

We now know that fossil fuels are technically a renewable resource, but they take many years to form. We still have adequate fossil fuels to supply us for the next fifty years from known reserves. Right now, availability is not an issue. Running out of fuel could happen, but the fuel shortages will occur differently.

A more likely scenario is that we will not be able to access fuel from a local or regional standpoint. Reports have been written for a while that the electrical infrastructure is fragile, outdated, and, in some places, overloaded. Fuel and electricity are co-dependent in some areas, mainly in manufacturing and distribution. Most gas stations use electricity to run their fuel pumps. Fuel plants need electricity to run their pumps. No electricity, no fuel. No pumps, no delivery. Some gas stations and fuel plants have installed generators to stay running, but that only works until the fuel runs out either in storage or to supply the generator.

That creates another problem. Many people depend on vehicles or public transportation to live and work. If you cannot access gas, you are stuck when you run out. You may just be stranded at home, but a more likely scenario is that you will be stranded on the road somewhere. While public transportation may have its own supply, it may not be easily replenished.

How do you prepare for this scenario? There are some ways to think about this, but also some things to consider. Some of this will depend on your location and your ability to store fuel. If you live in a rural location or a small town, you may be able to have a fuel barrel in a secure location. If you have an outbuilding with ventilation, you could store fuel inside the building. At a minimum, you should have several five-gallon containers to store gas in your garage or shed.

For the sake of safety, inside your home is not an ideal place for storing fuel. You would need an unheated area with good ventilation. Fumes are dangerous to your household, including your pets. If the containers start leaking, you would have a fire hazard. Keep the storage outside of the house.

And this should go without saying, but keep your fuel tank at least half full. That would be enough to get you home. Running less than half of a tank means jeopardizing your ability to get home or leave home in an emergency. If you need gas, more than likely, other people will need gas, which will create a bottleneck. Keeping your gas tank full may mean the difference between safety and survival.

How much should you stockpile? That is a good question. There are other factors needed to make that decision. How much do you drive? How much will you drive if there is an outage? How long will you need fuel? More than likely, you may not be going anywhere, but if you have a job that makes you an essential worker, you may have to go to work. (In that case, keep a go bag in your vehicle so you will be prepared to stay at work or in your car.)

At a minimum, you should have enough storage to fill your vehicle at least once. We are assuming this is a short-term outage and that the pumps will be back online within the week. If you drive more than 30 minutes daily, you may have to double the storage. In that case, you may be staying at work and not need the additional fuel, but it is better to be safe than sorry in this situation.

If you have a generator or other equipment that requires fuel, you will have to factor those things into your storage numbers. You may want to consider looking into a 100-gallon fuel barrel with a pump for additional storage. That may not be acceptable under local ordinances, so you would need to check that out. Otherwise, a barrel that small could be easily hidden in your yard or ventilated shed. You would also need to set up an account with a local supplier to fill the tank.

Something to consider when storing fuel is the amount of time you can store it. Diesel will last 6-12 months with stabilizers and treatment. Unleaded or high-octane gas can last 6-9 months with the addition of stabilizers. Regular gas can last 3-6 months with stabilizers. Any fuel that you store will need to be regularly rotated. Bad gas could ruin your vehicle.

Another consideration is security. If you have fuel storage, you need to keep that to yourself. You will more than likely need it worse than your neighbors or family. You can encourage friends and family to get their own storage now to save you the trouble later. You also need to keep a heavy chain and a heavy-duty padlock to keep your fuel barrel and containers safe. You can find more safety tips here for on-site storage. You also need to think about keeping your vehicle’s fuel tank secure. Desperate people will steal gas no matter what, but definitely in a shortage situation. You can use a locking gas cap for starters with an anti-siphon device. You can find more tips here to keep your vehicle’s fuel tank secure.

If you are considering a long-term scenario, stockpiling fuel may not be a wise decision. Fuel has a shelf life. Although many people claim that fuel can last longer, its quality degrades with age. Poor-quality fuel can damage engines. You could consider alternatives like propane, recycled cooking oil, or biogas, but the conversion kits for vehicles can be costly. Again, storage and accessibility are also concerns. You may not have the space. You may be trying to keep your neighbors from knowing. You may not be able to get a supply or resupply of those alternative fuels.

In a long-term situation, you will want to consider how to live without fuel. If you live in rural areas, this means alternative transportation or walking. In an urban setting, this may not be as bad, but the resources may not be there. Either way, you need to consider the possibilities and what that means for you. Walking will be the best form of transportation, but you need to be regularly walking now to be able to walk long distances if the need arises.

We are so used to being able to get where we want to go. Suddenly being unable to do is hard to imagine, but you need to consider and prepare for the possibility. Could you walk to town? Would that town have the resources you need? Living without fuel would give self-sufficiency a whole new meaning. Unfortunately, people would need to pivot and some people would not survive.

We can blame technology for giving us this problem. We are indeed addicted to technology as a whole and having things run smoothly at our fingertips is nice. However, in this case, technology is not really our friend. Most gas pumps run with electricity and use wireless NFC signals to start pumps and send payment information. You rarely encounter a gas station with non-electrical pumps. (If you do, make note of it in your vehicle.) However, those gas stations still rely on fuel delivery so once they are out, they are done.

Thinking logically, being prepared for short-term fuel shortages should be the goal. By buying adequate storage now for your needs and keeping the containers full, you will be ready to deal with fuel shortages. Anticipating problems will put you ahead and keep you safe.

Please check out these articles:
Stockpiling Fuels: The Right and Wrong Way To Do It
How to Prepare With Propane

Thanks for reading,
Erica

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