How UK fuel prices are set, and how to check yours is fair
12 June 2026·5 min read
Where a litre's money goes
A litre of petrol is duty, VAT on top, the wholesale cost and the retailer's margin. Duty and VAT do not move, so pump prices follow wholesale oil with a short lag, and the margin is the bit that varies most between towns.
The Competition and Markets Authority has watched UK fuel margins since 2022 and has flagged areas where weak competition keeps prices high. The Government's open data scheme was set up to narrow that gap.
The fuel price scheme behind our finder
Retailers in the scheme publish pump prices each day to the Government's open dataset. Roadworthy's fuel finder uses that data, so you can compare live E10, E5 and diesel prices by town or postcode instead of driving around to look.
Taking part is voluntary, so your local station may not appear. Missing data does not mean a high price, just a station that is not in the dataset.
Why prices differ from town to town
- Competition: more pumps per head usually means thinner margins and lower prices
- Delivery: it costs more to get fuel to a rural forecourt
- Brands vs supermarkets: different margin strategies, same fuel standard
- Timing: stations reprice at different points in the wholesale cycle
How to avoid overpaying
Check live prices for your town before you fill up. When wholesale prices are falling, stations that put prices up early are often slow to bring them down, and a quick check often finds 4 to 8 pence per litre between stations a few miles apart.