Live petrol and diesel prices, near you

Right now the cheapest of the big four supermarkets on E10 unleaded is Sainsbury's at an average of 152.9p per litre, with the other three within roughly a penny. On diesel, Sainsbury's currently leads at 173.7p per litre. The bigger saving is choosing any of the four supermarkets over a branded forecourt like BP, Shell, or Esso, which on average run around 4.9p per litre higher than supermarkets on E10 for exactly the same fuel.

No. Every litre of UK petrol comes from the same refineries and meets the same British and European fuel standards before it reaches a forecourt. Branded fuels like Shell V-Power and BP Ultimate contain higher concentrations of cleaning additives, which can be useful for older or high-performance engines, but supermarket fuel will not damage a modern car or void its warranty. With the big four supermarkets averaging 153.7p on E10 against 158.6p at branded sites, supermarket petrol is the cheaper and entirely safe choice for most cars.

E10 is standard unleaded with up to 10% ethanol, rated at 95 octane, and is the cheaper of the two. E5 (sold as Super Unleaded or Premium Unleaded) contains up to 5% ethanol and is rated at 97 octane or higher. About 95% of petrol cars on UK roads, and almost every car built after 2011, can safely use E10. Cars from before 2000, classic cars, and a small number of older specialist models should stick with E5.

Diesel attracts the same headline rate of fuel duty as petrol, but it generally costs more at the pump because refinery margins on diesel have stayed elevated since heating oil and aviation demand recovered, and because the UK imports a larger share of its diesel than its petrol. On current live prices the national average is 157.1p for E10 and 179.5p for diesel, a gap of around 22.4p per litre. Diesel still goes further per litre, so even at a higher price diesel cars can work out cheaper to run on long journeys.

Motorway service operators pay much higher rents, face almost no local competition, and know that drivers low on fuel have limited alternatives. Live prices show motorway E10 averaging 174.9p per litre versus 153.7p at supermarkets, a premium of roughly 21.2p. Diesel on the motorway averages 194.2p compared to 175.2p at supermarkets, a gap of around 19p. Filling up before you join, or pulling off at a junction with a supermarket nearby, almost always saves money.

Most UK retailers update prices once or twice a day, usually in the morning, and they often follow wholesale price changes with a lag of several days. There is no reliable single best hour to fill up, but filling early in the week before any duty or wholesale-driven hikes work through to the forecourt is sensible when prices are rising. The biggest single saving is choosing the right station, not the right time of day.

Fuel destined for Scottish islands travels by ferry rather than pipeline or tanker lorry, which adds significant cost at every step. Smaller islands also have only one or two forecourts serving the whole community, so there is no competitive pressure on price. The most expensive diesel on our live data right now is in Shetland at 220.0p per litre, roughly 45p higher than the mainland supermarket average. The Rural Fuel Duty Relief scheme rebates 5p per litre on eligible remote stations, without which prices would be even higher.

On current live prices, Greater Manchester has the cheapest average E10 in England at 153.5p per litre. The most expensive English county for unleaded right now is Warwickshire at 162.0p, a gap of about 8.5p per litre between the two. The single biggest factor is the density of supermarket forecourts in the area: more supermarkets nearby tends to drag local prices down.

UK retailers can change forecourt prices at any time. Most update once a day, some change several times a week, and others hold a price for weeks. Under the law that governs forecourt reporting, every retailer must report price changes within 30 minutes of making them. The figures on this site refresh every hour, so the prices and averages here reflect what stations have been charging in the last 60 minutes.

Three habits make most of the difference. First, fill up at a supermarket rather than a branded forecourt: on current live prices that alone is worth around 4.9p per litre on E10. Second, avoid motorway services unless you genuinely have no other choice, which can be worth another 21.2p on top. Third, check the price before you drive: prices vary by 15p to 20p per litre even within a single town, so the nearest station is often not the cheapest. Comparing local stations before you set off is the simplest way to lock in the saving.