Paying less for petrol in the UK

Two forecourts a few minutes apart can charge different amounts for the same litre of petrol. Drivers who check before they set off can choose the cheaper one. The government now collects what each UK station charges and makes it public, so anyone can make that check.

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Comparing forecourts near you

The government's Fuel Finder scheme gathers the pump prices and forecourt details of petrol stations across the UK. Under the Motor Fuel Price (Open Data) Regulations 2025, fuel traders must register with it. They must also send in each new price within 30 minutes of a change.

Drivers see this data through map apps and price comparison websites that take it in. The government says some developers are still adding it to their apps, so drivers should search for one that suits them.

The data can also be downloaded as a spreadsheet file, updated twice a day. GOV.UK points out that it is laid out for developers, so it will not suit everyone.

When the pump does not match the app

A price on the pump that differs from the one an app showed can be reported to the government's Fuel Finder service. The report asks for the forecourt's name and address, when you noticed it, and where you saw the price. Photos are optional, and you can report without giving your name.

Reports may be passed to the forecourt operator or to local Trading Standards. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) can take enforcement action against forecourts that keep reporting late or wrongly.

Why one station charges more than another

The CMA studied the road fuel market and published its final report in July 2023. It found large price differences between local areas.

Prices tended to be lower where a supermarket forecourt was nearby. A supermarket with no supermarket rival close by was likely to set its prices against the dearer stations around it.

Where there was no supermarket at all and retailers were likely to have higher costs, as in more remote areas, the CMA expected prices to be higher. Earlier, in its 2022 review, it had seen large gaps between many rural and urban areas.

Motorway service areas cost more. In 2022, drivers there without a fuel card paid around 20p a litre more for petrol, on average, than they would have paid elsewhere. The CMA found no evidence that higher costs explained this. Its view was that motorway sites face little competition.

What goes into a litre

In its 2022 review, the CMA found that the main reasons road fuel prices rose were the rising cost of crude oil and a growing gap between crude and the wholesale price, which it calls the refining spread. The difference between the wholesale price and the pump price is what it calls the retail spread.

Tax is the other large part. Fuel Duty is charged at a flat rate on each litre.

HMRC's table gives the rate as 52.95p a litre for both petrol and diesel. That includes a temporary 5p cut, first made in March 2022.

Budget 2026, published on 28 October 2026, keeps the cut for six more months, to 1 July 2027. It also puts back the planned rise in line with the Retail Prices Index to that date.

Petrol is always standard-rated for VAT, according to HMRC. The RAC Foundation explains that VAT at 20% is charged on both the fuel and the duty.

Using less of it

The Energy Saving Trust's advice starts with driving smoothly. Looking well ahead and leaving a bigger gap to the car in front cuts out needless braking and speeding up.

Changing up a gear early helps. The Trust says usually by around 2,000rpm, and the AA suggests around 2,500 for a petrol engine. Fuel use climbs steeply at high speed.

Tyres that are under-inflated burn more fuel and can be dangerous, so the Trust suggests checking them at least once a month and before long trips. Roof racks, boxes and bars add drag, and they are best taken off when not in use.

The Trust says opening a window uses less fuel than air conditioning, even at higher speeds. The AA sees it differently, and suggests windows around town and air conditioning for high-speed driving.

E10 or E5

Standard 95 octane petrol became E10 in Great Britain in September 2021 and in Northern Ireland in November 2022. It holds up to 10% renewable ethanol. Diesel did not change.

All cars built since 2011 can use E10, and GOV.UK puts the share of petrol vehicles on the road that can use it at about 95%. Some classic and older vehicles cannot, along with some models from the early 2000s and some mopeds of 50cc or under. The government's E10 checker covers cars, motorcycles and mopeds.

Owners of vehicles that cannot use E10 can buy E5 in the "super" grade (97+ octane), which most filling stations sell. One tank of E10 in such a vehicle should not do harm, and there is no need to drain it. GOV.UK advises against using it for long. E10 may cut fuel economy by around 1%, which it says is unlikely to be noticed.

Diesel drivers can read about duty, red diesel and putting the wrong fuel in on dieselprice.uk.

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