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UK petrol and diesel prices today

Last updated . Figures refresh every night. How each figure is worked out.

In the week to 21 September 2026, the UK average pump price was 172.0p a litre for petrol and 195.5p for diesel, according to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero's weekly series. Petrol is +37.9p (+28.2%) on a year earlier and diesel +53.5p (+37.7%). 47% of the petrol price is tax.

Figure as of 21 September 2026. Source: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

What is the average price of petrol and diesel?

172.0p
Petrol, UK average
up on a year earlier: +37.9p (+28.2%) vs 22 September 2025

Figure as of 21 September 2026. Source: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

195.5p
Diesel, UK average
up on a year earlier: +53.5p (+37.7%) vs 22 September 2025

Figure as of 21 September 2026. Source: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

81.6p
Tax in a litre of petrol
up on a year earlier: +6.3p (+8.4%) vs 22 September 2025

Figure as of 21 September 2026. Source: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

85.5p
Tax in a litre of diesel
up on a year earlier: +8.9p (+11.6%) vs 22 September 2025

Figure as of 21 September 2026. Source: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

These are national averages for the week to 21 September 2026. Individual forecourts vary widely: motorway services typically charge around 22p a litre more than other stations.

What is driving the price right now?

Brent crude is $130.80 a barrel, +$62.92 (+92.7%) on a year ago, and the pound buys $1.3374. Together those put 61.0p of crude oil in every litre — +29.6p (+94.1%) on a year earlier. Duty is fixed at 52.95p, so when crude moves, the pump price moves by less in percentage terms than it would in a country with light fuel taxes.

$130.80
Brent crude, dollars a barrel
up on a year earlier: +$62.92 (+92.7%) vs 15 September 2025

Figure as of 15 September 2026. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

$1.3374
Pound in US dollars
down on a year earlier: −$0.0121 (−0.9%) vs 22 September 2025

Figure as of 21 September 2026. Source: Bank of England.

61.0p
Crude oil in a litre of petrol
up on a year earlier: +29.6p (+94.1%) vs 15 September 2025

Figure as of 15 September 2026. Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

28.9p
Refining and retail margin, petrol
up on a year earlier: +1.2p (+4.4%) vs 22 September 2025

Figure as of 21 September 2026. Source: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Pump price and crude, both in pence per litre
The numbers behind this chart
Pump price against crude, pence per litre (sampled weeks)
WeekPump priceCrudeGap
10 May 200480.312.767.6
1 Nov 200484.316.168.2
23 May 200584.816.368.5
7 Nov 200592.521.071.5
24 Apr 200695.326.169.3
9 Oct 200686.620.066.6
26 Mar 200789.320.668.7
10 Sept 200794.623.371.4
25 Feb 2008104.731.173.5
11 Aug 2008113.936.377.7
26 Jan 200987.421.765.8
13 Jul 2009102.822.880.0
28 Dec 2009107.430.177.3
14 Jun 2010117.931.985.9
29 Nov 2010119.234.884.4
16 May 2011136.444.192.3
31 Oct 2011134.742.392.5
16 Apr 2012142.246.995.2
1 Oct 2012138.443.894.6
18 Mar 2013137.645.292.4
2 Sept 2013137.146.990.3
17 Feb 2014129.240.988.3
4 Aug 2014129.638.790.9
19 Jan 2015106.819.787.2
6 Jul 2015116.323.193.3
21 Dec 2015102.314.987.4
6 Jun 2016110.421.389.1
21 Nov 2016114.723.291.5
8 May 2017117.122.694.4
23 Oct 2017117.027.589.5
9 Apr 2018120.030.489.6
24 Sept 2018130.638.791.9
11 Mar 2019120.131.388.8
26 Aug 2019128.230.198.1
10 Feb 2020124.726.098.7
27 Jul 2020112.721.291.5
11 Jan 2021116.125.690.6
28 Jun 2021130.733.996.9
13 Dec 2021146.235.2111.0
30 May 2022170.461.2109.2
14 Nov 2022164.450.2114.2
1 May 2023145.740.9104.8
16 Oct 2023155.147.0108.1
1 Apr 2024146.343.2103.0
16 Sept 2024136.535.2101.3
3 Mar 2025139.636.1103.5
18 Aug 2025134.331.7102.6
2 Feb 2026131.631.3100.4
20 Jul 2026152.340.7111.6
21 Sept 2026172.061.5110.5

Figure as of 21 September 2026. Source: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Bank of England.

How much of today's price is tax?

172.0p/litre
UK average petrol, week to 21 September 2026
Fuel, refining and retail 53%Fuel duty 31%VAT 17%

How do UK prices compare with other countries?

UK petrol works out at about $8.58 a US gallon, 10 of 28 countries compared. US petrol is $4.157 a gallon, roughly half the UK level, almost entirely because US fuel taxes are far lower.

Petrol prices, US dollars per gallon
The numbers behind this chart
Petrol including tax, US dollars per gallon, with the change on a year earlier
CountryNowA year agoChange
Denmark$11.21$8.76+$2.45
Netherlands$10.64$8.69+$1.95
Germany$10.30$7.64+$2.66
Finland$10.13$7.98+$2.15
France$9.50$7.68+$1.82
Italy$9.11$7.62+$1.49
Portugal$9.06$7.62+$1.44
Belgium$8.64$6.83+$1.81
Latvia$8.64$6.85+$1.79
United Kingdom$8.58$6.85+$1.73
Lithuania$8.38$6.20+$2.18
Estonia$8.37$6.36+$2.01
Austria$8.28$6.73+$1.55
Ireland$8.28$7.60+$0.68
Romania$8.26$6.65+$1.61
Spain$8.16$6.61+$1.55
Czechia$7.99$6.29+$1.70
Poland$7.96$6.09+$1.87
Slovakia$7.90$6.88+$1.02
Luxembourg$7.84$6.59+$1.25
Croatia$7.59$6.64+$0.95
Hungary$7.49$6.69+$0.80
Cyprus$7.21$6.01+$1.20
Slovenia$7.17$6.45+$0.72
Bulgaria$7.08$5.44+$1.64
Sweden$6.62$6.44+$0.18
Malta$5.86$5.97−$0.11
United States$4.16$3.18+$0.98

Figure as of 21 September 2026. Source: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Bank of England.

Common questions

What is the average price of petrol in the UK?
172.0p a litre in the week to 21 September 2026, the UK average published by DESNZ.
What is the average price of diesel in the UK?
195.5p a litre in the week to 21 September 2026.
Why is diesel more expensive than petrol?
Duty is the same on both at 52.95p a litre. Diesel costs more because of the refining and wholesale market for middle distillates: the refining and retail margin on diesel is 48.5p against 28.9p on petrol.

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Sources for this page

SourcePublisherFigures as ofUpdated
Weekly road fuel pricesDepartment for Energy Security and Net Zero21 September 2026weekly
Brent crude oil spot price (FRED DCOILBRENTEU)Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis15 September 2026daily
Spot exchange rate, US $ into sterling (XUDLUSS)Bank of England21 September 2026daily