A guide to how UK fuel prices really work
Fuel prices can vary by 10-20 pence per litre between stations just a few miles apart, even within the same town. This happens because each station sets its own price based on local competition, site running costs, and how often they restock — not a single national price set by the government or oil companies.
Petrol and diesel are largely the same product regardless of which station sells them — the price difference comes almost entirely from what each station chooses to charge, not the fuel's quality or source. A station on a busy high street competing with three others nearby often prices lower than one on a quiet road with no competition.
Supermarket forecourts (Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons) typically price more aggressively, since fuel draws people into the store for other shopping. Independent and motorway service stations often price higher, reflecting higher running costs or a lack of nearby competition — motorway stations in particular have a captive audience with nowhere else to go.
Stations can and do change prices daily, sometimes more than once a day, tracking wholesale fuel costs and local competitor pricing. This is exactly why a price comparison site needs genuinely current data — a price that was accurate yesterday can easily be wrong today.
This is exactly the gap Forecourt UK is built to close — real-time comparison across thousands of UK stations, so you can see the actual difference before you drive anywhere.
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