If you have ever pulled into a motorway service station and winced at the price board, you are not imagining it. Motorway fuel is significantly more expensive than supermarket forecourts, and the gap is bigger than most drivers realise. We compared live prices across hundreds of motorway service stations and supermarket forecourts using data from the UK Government FuelFinder service to find out exactly how much more you are paying.
The numbers
Motorway services (E10)
- 1Shell174.9p
- 2Esso181.4p
- 3BP181.6p
- 4Welcome Break184.6p
Supermarkets (E10)
- 1Morrisons154.3p
- 2Tesco154.5p
- 3Sainsbury's154.6p
- 4ASDA154.9p
The gap between BP on the motorway and Morrisons on the high street is 27.3p per litre. On a 50 litre fill that is an extra £13.65 every single time you fill up on the motorway.
Diesel is even worse
Welcome Break diesel averages 205.1p per litre. Morrisons diesel averages 187.0p per litre. That is an 18p per litre difference, adding up to over £10 on a typical diesel fill.
Premium diesel at BP motorway services averages 222.9p per litre. You are paying nearly 70p per litre more than supermarket unleaded for the privilege of being on a motorway.
Why is motorway fuel so expensive?
Motorway service operators pay significantly higher rents for their locations, face less local competition, and know that drivers who are low on fuel have limited options. There is no legal cap on fuel prices in the UK, so operators charge what the market will bear. The Competition and Markets Authority has investigated fuel pricing but motorway services have largely remained exempt from the scrutiny applied to local forecourts.
How to avoid motorway fuel prices
The simplest approach is to fill up before you leave. Check FindingFuel for the cheapest station near your starting point or near a motorway junction before you join. Many motorway junctions have supermarket forecourts within a mile or two of the slip road, and a short detour can save you over £10 on a single fill.
If you do need fuel on a motorway, Shell tends to be the cheapest of the major operators based on current data, averaging around 174.9p for E10 compared to 184.6p at Welcome Break.
The bottom line
Motorway service fuel costs an average of 20p to 30p more per litre than a supermarket forecourt. Over a year, a driver filling up twice a month who avoids motorway services entirely could save over £300. Plan ahead, fill up early, and use FindingFuel to find the cheapest station on your route.
Prices based on live data from the UK Government FuelFinder service, updated hourly. Data covers April 2026.