Forecourt UK · diesel price analysis
UK diesel hits a record high — one in three forecourts now charging £2 a litre
Based on government data published .
One in three UK forecourts is now charging £2 or more for a litre of standard diesel — and the national equal-station average has reached exactly 200.0p, based on the government's mandatory pricing data published this morning.
Of the 7,983 forecourts reporting standard diesel (B7) in today's government update, 2,683 — 33.6% — are at £2 or above. A further 2,512 are priced at exactly 199.9p: a single price change away from £2. Taken together, 65% of diesel forecourts across the UK are already at 199.9p or higher.
The record
According to RAC Fuel Watch, the UK's weighted average diesel price reached 199.18p per litre on 28 September 2026, breaking the previous record of 199.09p set in June 2022 in the months following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Forecourt UK's equal-station average — which gives every forecourt equal weight, rather than weighting by sales volume — stands at 200.0p as of this morning's data. Our price records begin 23 September 2026; over those eleven days, the average has moved from 197.5p to 200.0p.
Where diesel is most expensive
These postcode areas have the highest proportion of forecourts at £2 or above, among areas with at least five forecourts reporting:
| Postcode area | Forecourts at £2+ | Area average |
|---|---|---|
| SO21 | 8 of 8 (100%) | 206.8p |
| BR6 | 7 of 7 (100%) | 205.0p |
| SL6 | 7 of 7 (100%) | 202.5p |
Rural and remote areas typically carry the highest prices due to fewer competing forecourts and higher distribution costs.
Why diesel is so expensive right now
Diesel has risen faster than petrol for structural reasons. The UK is a heavy importer of diesel — the closure of the Grangemouth refinery has increased that reliance — and the United States is one of its largest suppliers, at roughly a quarter of UK diesel imports. Supply disruption in the Middle East hits diesel and jet fuel before other products, and that has fed through directly to UK pump prices.
US share of UK diesel imports: about 26%, Kpler data reported in Euronews, 25 September 2026.
The result is an unusually wide gap between diesel and petrol. At today's averages, diesel costs around 25p per litre more than petrol — hitting van drivers, hauliers, farmers, and older diesel car owners hardest.
What it costs to fill up
At the UK equal-station average of 200.0p, filling a standard 55-litre diesel tank costs £110.00 — up from around £78 when diesel averaged 142p per litre at the start of 2021.
For a driver covering 10,000 miles a year at 50mpg, that works out to roughly £1,820 a year in diesel alone at current prices.
What's coming
Fuel duty on standard diesel is currently 52.95p per litre through 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027, the scheduled rate rises to 55.95p — adding approximately 3p at the pump before any wholesale changes. The government has said it will confirm the final rates at the Budget.
Fuel duty rates: GOV.UK, fuel duty rates 2026 to 2027.
Find cheaper diesel near you
Prices vary significantly between forecourts, even within a few miles. The cheapest standard diesel in the UK in today's data is 158.0p per litre — 42p below the national average.
Use the search below to find cheaper diesel near you.
Find cheaper diesel near you →Based on government data published 4 October 2026 at 09:00 UTC, covering 7,983 forecourts reporting standard diesel (B7). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. National weighted average figures and record-high attribution: RAC Fuel Watch. Forecourt UK's equal-station average weights every forecourt equally; this differs from the volume-weighted averages published by motoring organisations. Our price records begin 23 September 2026.
See the full breakdown on the £2 diesel tracker — the same underlying data, recomputed with every government update.
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