Why do fuel prices differ between stations?
Stations set their own prices. The UK competition regulator's study links local differences to who a station competes with and where it is. The figures below are today's.
Stations close together can differ a lot
In a typical postcode district with five or more stations, the cheapest unleaded is 5.0p below the dearest. That's £2.00 on 40 litres, worked out across 421 districts and leaving out motorways.
Supermarkets
Typical unleaded is 169.7p at Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons, and 170.9p at other brands. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) studied the road fuel market and reported in July 2023 that lower local prices typically go with having a supermarket competitor, particularly Asda, though it said this effect had weakened since January 2022.
The CMA also found that average supermarket fuel margins rose significantly after 2019. So don't assume a supermarket is the cheapest place near you.
Where there's less competition
The CMA found that where supermarkets have no supermarket rival, they tend to price against typically dearer non-supermarket retailers. Where there are no supermarkets and costs are likely to be higher, such as in more remote areas, prices are likely to be higher too. It also found that in some areas prices stay well above the national average because of local competition.
Motorways
Typical unleaded at motorway services is 194.9p, 24.0p above the Great Britain typical price of 170.9p. The CMA put the gap at around 20p on petrol and 15p on diesel on average in 2022, and said it saw no evidence that higher costs explained it, so it put this down to limited competitive pressure. See motorway services prices.
Northern Ireland
Typical unleaded is 163.9p in Northern Ireland against 170.9p in Great Britain, so we compare each with its own side. We haven't found an official source that explains the whole gap, so we don't offer a reason here.
How to pay less
- Compare before you set off. The CMA found drivers can generally save within a reasonable drive, but the cheapest station isn't always the same one over time.
- Fill up before you join a motorway where you can.
- Check that a detour pays, using our worth the drive calculator.
Live figures updated 3 November 2026 from GOV.UK Fuel Finder. "Typical" is the median of prices confirmed in the last 30 days. CMA findings are from its road fuel market study, published 3 July 2023, and may have changed since.