Date: 28th May 2026
We talk a lot about fuel for our cars. Petrol, diesel, the stuff that makes the world go round.
But here’s something I’ve been thinking about lately, especially after writing the posts on the biomass rocket stove and heirloom seeds.
When the disruptions get serious—really serious—the fuel people will fight over won't be the black liquid coming out of the ground. It will be the golden liquid in the bottle next to your stove.
Cooking oil.
Let me explain why this is the "shadow pillar" of preparedness, and why you should be adding it to your list right alongside water and rice.
The Quiet Dependency
Right now, you probably don’t think twice about cooking oil. You run out, you go to the shop, you buy another bottle. It’s cheap, abundant, and boring.
But look at the supply chain for a second:
It travels by truck. Those trucks run on diesel. No diesel, no delivery.
It comes from factories. Factories need electricity or gas. No power, no pressing.
It relies on global crops. Sunflower, palm, soy, canola. A bad harvest or a trade ban hits the shelves in weeks.
During the early stages of the pandemic and again during the 2022 supply shocks, we saw it happen. Shelves emptied of cooking oil fast. And when it's gone, it's not like rice or beans. You can eat beans raw (it's miserable, but possible). Try cooking a pot of lentils or frying a piece of dough without oil.
Why It’s a "Peak Oil" Problem
This is a post-oil blog, so let’s connect the dots.
When energy gets expensive, everything that requires energy gets expensive. But cooking oil has a double bind:
Production slows: Factories switch off or reduce hours.
Demand shifts: People stop eating out and start cooking at home more. Suddenly, household demand spikes right when supply is dropping.
In a real energy crisis, a bottle of quality cooking oil will become a premium barter item. It will be worth more than a litre of petrol because you can't fry an egg with petrol.
The Simple Stockpile Strategy
You don't need a bunker, but you do need a deep pantry.
Here is my rule for cooking oil: Store what you use in a year, today.
If your family goes through one 5-litre bottle every two months, that’s six bottles a year. That is your target.
How to store it safely (Important):
Buy what you actually eat. Coconut oil, palm oil, sunflower, or canola. Don't buy industrial soybean oil if you hate it.
Keep it cool and dark. Heat and light are the enemies. A dark cupboard under the stairs is perfect. Never store it next to the oven or in a hot garage.
Rotate, rotate, rotate. New bottle in the back, old bottle in the front. Use the oldest one first. This is "first in, first out."
Watch for rancidity. If it smells like crayons or old paint, toss it. That’s why rotation matters.
The "Secondary Fuel" Bonus
Here is a tip from the off-grid world that most people don't think about.
Used cooking oil? Don't pour it down the drain.
Emergency Fire Starter: Soak a cotton ball or a piece of cardboard in old oil. It burns hot and long. Much better than kindling.
DIY Lantern Fuel: A glass jar, a cotton wick, and clean used oil makes a surprisingly effective emergency lamp. It smells like a chip shop, but it gives you light when the solar lamp is dead.
Compost Helper (tiny amounts only): A few drops on dry leaves can help your compost start breaking down faster. But go easy.
The Product I Actually Use
For most families, the cheapest, most stable option for long-term (6-12 month) storage is simply refined palm oil or coconut oil in food-grade PET plastic bottles (the same kind the store uses).
I don't recommend buying a massive 20-litre industrial jug unless you have a big family. You’ll never use it before it goes bad.
Instead, I buy standard 2-litre or 5-litre bottles from my local supermarket every time I do a big shop. One extra bottle per trip. That’s the habit.
In six months, you'll have a 6-month supply without ever feeling the pinch in your wallet.
Final Thought
We prep for electricity (solar panels). We prep for water (filters). We prep for food (seeds).
But don't forget the medium that turns those raw beans, rice, and vegetables into something your family will actually want to eat.
When the world gets chaotic, a hot, oily, crispy meal is not just calories. It’s morale.
And morale is the ultimate survival tool.
Stay prepared, not paranoid.
— Peter Ng
Post-Oil Survival Guide
P.S. If you enjoyed this, go back and re-read the "Rocket Stove" post. A rocket stove paired with a good supply of cooking oil and a bag of flour? You can make flatbread or fry dough. That's a feast in a crisis.
