Existing fuel reserves let the Royal Navy change propulsion slowly

Did Royal Navy fuel reserves help keep steam propulsion in service after the war?

Yes. Already-owned fuel let the Navy retain steam while developing replacement machinery at a measured pace.

The Royal Navy entered the post-war period with fuel already purchased and stored at great scale. Continuing to use steam plants therefore exploited an existing logistical asset rather than creating a new fuel and machinery system at once. Diesel and gas turbines could still be studied while the fleet consumed the reserve and matured the alternatives. Technology choice was shaped by sunk infrastructure as well as by the efficiency of a new engine.