Petrol Hits 156.13p as Fuel Costs Climb Into the Holidays

What the official numbers show

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero's weekly road fuel price statistics put average UK pump prices at 156.13p a litre for unleaded petrol and 173.97p for diesel in the week beginning 27 July 2026, a sharp move higher after several weeks of relative calm around the 150p mark. The diesel premium over petrol has widened to 17.84p a litre, having narrowed to under 14p earlier in the month. The comparison with last year is stark: in the equivalent week of July 2025 petrol averaged 133.19p and diesel 140.58p, meaning both fuels now cost more than 20p a litre more than twelve months ago. For a driver filling a typical 55-litre family car, that is roughly £12 more per tank for petrol and over £18 more for diesel than a year ago, arriving in the middle of the school holidays when household mileage peaks. Diesel's renewed climb matters beyond private motoring, because freight, supermarket distribution, agriculture and construction all run on it, so sustained diesel inflation works its way into shelf prices with a lag of weeks and months.

Why prices are climbing again

The underlying story remains the one that began in late February, when conflict in the Middle East disrupted flows through the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway carrying roughly 20% of the world's traded energy. Petrol climbed from around 132p in early March to over 158p by mid-April, and diesel spiked as high as 192.14p before retreating as shipping recovered. Prices never returned to their pre-crisis level, and three factors keep them elevated. Wholesale crude remains well above its early 2026 base, and every fresh bout of supply anxiety feeds through to forecourts within days. The pound has been weak against the dollar in which oil is priced, so each barrel costs UK importers more in sterling even when the dollar price is flat. And the Competition and Markets Authority has repeatedly found that UK fuel retail margins have been persistently high compared with the 2015 to 2019 average, meaning forecourts keep more of each litre than they historically did. The CMA's monitoring is the reason the government's Fuel Finder scheme now publishes live station-level prices, giving drivers the tool to punish the most expensive forecourts directly.

Where fuel duty goes next

Tax is the largest single component of the pump price and the one with a confirmed trajectory. Fuel duty currently stands at 52.95p a litre for both petrol and diesel, a rate that includes the temporary 5p cut first introduced in 2022 and extended repeatedly since. The government has confirmed the current rate remains in place through this year, with staged increases scheduled during 2027 that return duty to 57.95p a litre, after which the rate is due to rise with inflation annually. VAT at 20% then applies on top of the full pump price, meaning tax on tax, so a 5p duty rise actually adds 6p at the pump once VAT is included. For household budgeting the practical takeaway is that the tax floor under fuel prices rises next year regardless of what oil markets do, and any wholesale relief between now and then flatters a comparison that gets structurally worse in 2027. Fleet operators and high-mileage drivers weighing vehicle decisions should factor the confirmed duty path in rather than the current frozen rate.

How to cut the cost of filling up

The spread between the cheapest and most expensive forecourts in a single area routinely exceeds the weekly national price movement, which makes shopping around the single most effective response available to drivers. The government's Fuel Finder scheme, live since February, requires stations to publish prices within half an hour of changes, and the data feeds the price comparison tools in major navigation and fuel apps, so checking before a fill rather than defaulting to the nearest station reliably saves several pence a litre. Supermarket forecourts remain cheaper than motorway services by margins that can exceed 20p a litre, so filling before a long journey rather than en route matters more than usual at current prices. Driving style compounds the savings: smooth acceleration, sticking near speed limits, removing roof boxes when unused and keeping tyres at the correct pressure each trim consumption by measurable percentages. For two-car households, allocating the diesel vehicle to the long journeys where its efficiency advantage outweighs its 17.84p price premium, and the petrol car to short local trips, extracts the most from the current price structure. Related: our money guides, bills section, comparison guides and the latest UK news.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average price of petrol in the UK now?

Official GOV.UK weekly figures show petrol averaged 156.13p a litre and diesel 173.97p in the week beginning 27 July 2026.

Why are fuel prices so high in 2026?

Supply disruption through the Strait of Hormuz pushed crude oil higher from late February, the weak pound has raised sterling import costs, and the CMA has found retailer margins persistently high against historic averages.

Is fuel duty going up?

Fuel duty is 52.95p a litre, including the temporary 5p cut. Staged rises are scheduled during 2027 to return the rate to 57.95p, after which it is due to rise with inflation each year.

How much more does filling up cost than last year?

Both fuels are over 20p a litre more expensive than a year ago. On a 55-litre tank that is roughly £12 more for petrol and over £18 more for diesel.

What is the cheapest way to buy fuel?

Compare live station prices through apps using the government's Fuel Finder data, favour supermarket forecourts over motorway services, and fill up before long journeys rather than en route.