Average UK petrol and diesel price

Source: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), series ULSP (ultra low sulphur unleaded petrol) pump price, pence per litre. Weekly on Tuesdays at 9:30am for Monday's prices. The GOV.UK Content API JSON lists the current CSV, Excel and XML attachments; the CSV attachment URL changes each week (the 2018 onwards CSV has columns for petrol and diesel prices, duty and VAT)

What it measures

This is the average price of a litre of standard unleaded petrol at UK filling stations on a Monday, published weekly by DESNZ. The same table gives diesel (200.04p on 12 October 2026) and the fuel duty and VAT rates included in the price. DESNZ collects Monday prices from six companies (four oil companies and two supermarkets) covering around 60% of fuel sold, and weights them by sales volumes, so a particular forecourt can be well above or below the average. Prices include fuel duty (52.95p a litre for both fuels) and VAT at 20% charged on top of the duty.

How to read it

Weekly averages respond to oil prices and exchange rates with a lag of a few weeks. Because VAT is charged on the duty as well as the fuel, tax makes up a large share of the pump price: at 175.28p, duty plus VAT came to about 82p. The weekly figures are cash prices; to compare with years ago, adjust for inflation (see cash and real terms). The ONS consumer price indices track fuel too but as an index, not a pence figure. For prices at stations near you, see official fuel price sources.

Background

The DESNZ weekly series starts in June 2003, when petrol averaged 74.59p a litre. Petrol reached its highest weekly average of 191.55p on 4 July 2022. Fuel duty, 57.95p a litre from 23 March 2011, was cut by 5p to 52.95p from 23 March 2022, according to the DESNZ duty table. Prices rose through 2026: petrol was 134.81p on 13 October 2025 and 175.28p on 12 October 2026, and diesel reached 200.04p, the highest weekly diesel price in the series since 2003, above its July 2022 level of 199.22p.

Other parts of the UK

DESNZ weekly road fuel prices (UK averages only; no nation or regional breakdown) · DESNZ weekly road fuel prices CSV, 2003 to 2017

What is the average petrol price in the UK today?

The latest DESNZ weekly figure is 175.28p a litre for unleaded petrol, for Monday 12 October 2026, published on 13 October. Diesel averaged 200.04p. The figures are updated every Tuesday for the previous day's prices.

How much of the price of petrol is tax?

Fuel duty is 52.95p a litre, and VAT at 20% is charged on the fuel and the duty. At an average pump price of 175.28p, VAT is about 29.2p, so duty and VAT together come to about 82p a litre, just under half the price.

Are petrol prices going up?

The weekly DESNZ series shows petrol rising from 149.80p on 6 July 2026 to 175.28p on 12 October 2026, and diesel from 164.77p to 200.04p over the same weeks. Weekly figures can change direction quickly, so check the latest release.

What was the highest petrol price in the UK?

The highest weekly average in the DESNZ series was 191.55p a litre for unleaded petrol on 4 July 2022. For diesel, the highest was 200.04p on 12 October 2026. The series covers June 2003 onwards.

Why is diesel more expensive than petrol?

Both carry the same duty rate, so the gap comes from wholesale costs before tax. The weekly statistics report prices, duty and VAT but do not break down the remaining cost of each fuel, so they cannot on their own explain the gap.

Related questions

• Where can I find official UK fuel prices?
• What is the current UK inflation rate?
• How is UK inflation measured?
• Where can I find road traffic statistics?

More on this source: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) energy and emissions statistics, and Ofgem energy price cap data