Costco is rationing its Kirkland Signature motor oil as the Iran war fuels a growing squeeze on energy supplies and prices.
The retailer is limiting members to two purchases of its 5W-30 full synthetic oil every seven days, according to Costco’s website and reports from The Auto Wire.
The product is sold as a two-pack of five-quart bottles.
And not only is the product being rationed, ten quarts of Kirkland Signature full-synthetic oil now costs $58, up from as little as $30, according to The Drive.
The Daily Beast has contacted Costco for comment.
The restrictions come as the economic fallout from the war in Iran continues to hit American households.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted oil supplies and pushed up the cost of crude, fuel and other petroleum-based products—with American consumers increasingly feeling the pinch.
Brown University’s Iran War Energy Cost Tracker estimates the conflict has pushed the nation’s additional gasoline and diesel costs above $100 billion, with the average household paying more than $750 extra since the war began in February.
And the bill is still growing, with Brown’s tracker showing the tab is climbing by roughly $1 million every two minutes.
AAA currently shows that, on average, gasoline costs $4.31 a gallon, up from $4.14 a gallon during Labor Day weekend.
Diesel prices have climbed even further. The national average has reached $6.23 a gallon.
While Costco has not said why the rationing has been brought in, Antonio Moore, a California attorney, warned in a post on X that Costco’s decision could signal broader supply problems.
“The point is that Costco via Kirkland, has a high resolution view of all supply chains relevant to Costco,” McCracken wrote.
“That perspective has resulted in them enacting rationing; that means they see severe problems upstream & coming down the pipe to the consumer level. Costco is the bulk store, and now you’re not allowed to buy bulk oil.”
Trump has argued that Americans are willing to tolerate higher prices temporarily to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. But polling tells a different story.
A June CBS News/YouGov poll found 69 percent of Americans believed the conflict with Iran was not worth the costs.
