Is your UK petrol or diesel price above the weekly average?

A pump price is easier to judge when you compare it with the UK government’s weekly average for the same fuel. The difference, measured in pence per litre, shows what a 50-litre fill-up would cost above or below that benchmark. Drivers should check the latest published figure before comparing: the national average is a reference point, not a quote for a nearby station.

By AtheneNet Editorial Team

Find the latest average for your fuel

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publishes weekly road fuel prices for petrol and diesel separately. Its published series is the place to find the latest available national average and the week to which it applies.

A current pence-per-litre figure cannot be given here because no publication-day price has been verified. Before making a comparison, open the government page, note the latest available week and copy the figure for the fuel your car uses. Compare petrol with petrol or diesel with diesel; mixing the two would make the result meaningless.

The date matters. A weekly average describes the period shown in the data, while the price on a forecourt sign is the price offered at that station when you see it. If a newer weekly figure has been published since you last checked, use that figure for a fresh comparison.

Turn a pump price into a 50-litre comparison

Subtract the government’s weekly average from the price displayed at the pump, using pence per litre for both. A positive result means the pump price is above the national average; a negative result means it is below. Then multiply the difference in pence by 50 and divide by 100 to express the difference in pounds.

50-litre difference in pounds = (pump price − weekly average, in pence per litre) × 50 ÷ 100.

For an illustration of the arithmetic, a pump price 2p per litre above a verified average would add £1 to a 50-litre fill-up. A price 2p below it would save £1 on that quantity. These are example differences, not claims about today’s pump price or the latest government average. Use the two prices you have checked on publication day for an actual result.

The same method works for a different fill-up size: replace 50 with the number of litres you expect to buy. A driver buying 25 litres would see half the cash difference produced by the 50-litre calculation, assuming the same difference per litre.

What the national average can and cannot tell you

A price below the UK average may be attractive, but it does not establish that the station is the cheapest nearby. A price above it does not, by itself, mean the station is unusually expensive for its location. Motorway services, rural forecourts and stations in the same town can charge different amounts.

For a decision about where to stop, compare the government benchmark with several accessible local prices for the same fuel. Include the distance and fuel needed to reach another station: a small saving per litre may disappear if the cheaper pump requires a long detour. Check the displayed pump price again before filling up, and use the latest available government week when you want to repeat the national comparison.

Source: UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero