UK petrol and diesel prices: compare pumps before you fill up

A cheaper pump can save money on a full tank, but only if you compare the same fuel and include the cost of getting there. UK filling stations must report price changes to the government’s Fuel Finder scheme within 30 minutes. Check a live listing before you leave, then confirm the price at the pump before filling.

By AtheneNet Editorial Team

Compare the same fuel at nearby stations

Start with a consumer price comparison service listed on the government’s Fuel Finder factsheet. Search around your location or along a journey you already plan to make. Check when each listing was updated, the station’s address and opening hours, and whether a low price requires a detour.

Compare like with like: standard petrol with standard petrol, or diesel with diesel. If your vehicle needs a particular grade, compare that grade at every station. A premium fuel price is not a useful comparison with a standard fuel price, even when both are sold at the same forecourt.

Fuel Finder makes recent price data available to comparison tools, but a listing is a guide to what you should find, not a guarantee of the price when you arrive. The pump display is the final check before you start filling.

Work out whether the cheaper pump saves money

Multiply the difference in pence per litre by the number of litres you expect to buy, then divide by 100. For example, a 5p-per-litre difference on a 45-litre fill is a potential saving of £2.25. These figures illustrate the calculation; they are not current local prices.

Next, estimate the fuel used on any extra driving. A four-mile round-trip detour in a car averaging 40 miles per imperial gallon uses about 0.45 litres. At an illustrative £1.50 per litre, that costs roughly 68p, reducing the £2.25 saving to about £1.57. Traffic, fuel economy and how much you actually buy can change the result.

A station already on your route may therefore be the better choice even if its price is slightly higher. For a small top-up, the saving from travelling farther will be smaller too.

If the listed price differs from the pump

Check that you selected the correct station and fuel grade, and read the displayed pump price before filling. If it differs from the listing, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s Fuel Finder guidance explains how drivers can report a mismatch. Note the station, fuel grade, displayed price and time so the report is specific.

Source: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero