From February 2026, fuel prices at UK petrol stations are no longer just a matter of local signage or voluntary apps. Under the new Fuel Finder scheme, filling stations are legally required to publish their petrol and diesel prices in near-real-time, making them available through open data feeds used by comparison tools, navigation systems, and fuel price apps.
The aim is greater transparency at the pump. For drivers, however, the key question is not how the system works on paper, but whether it changes anything in practice.
What is Fuel Finder?
Fuel Finder is a mandatory fuel price reporting scheme introduced under UK law. All petrol stations selling petrol or diesel must register and submit their prices to a central system. Any price change must be reported within 30 minutes.
The data is published as open data and can be used freely by third-party platforms. There is no official government Fuel Finder app; instead, drivers will access the information through fuel price comparison websites, apps and in-car navigation systems that choose to integrate the data.
What changes for drivers?
In theory, Fuel Finder should make fuel price information more reliable and more consistent across platforms. Until now, many price comparison tools relied on voluntary updates, crowdsourced information or delayed reporting. As a result, prices were often outdated or incomplete.
With mandatory reporting in place:
- fuel prices should reflect actual pump prices more accurately
- sudden price increases or reductions should become visible more quickly
- differences between nearby stations should be easier to spot
For drivers who plan refuelling stops in advance, particularly those covering high mileages, even small price differences can add up over time.
How drivers can use the system in practice
Fuel Finder does not require drivers to change their habits radically, but it does make certain approaches more worthwhile.
Checking fuel prices before setting off should become more reliable, as price data is no longer optional for retailers. However, drivers should not rely on a single app or website. While the underlying data is the same, platforms may differ in how often they refresh it or how clearly they present it.
Rather than focusing only on one-off savings of a penny or two per litre, drivers may benefit more from identifying patterns. Stations that consistently price below the local average, or routes with reliably cheaper fuel, should become easier to identify once data coverage improves.
Read more: Spanish transport will be flooded with Turkish drivers: a staffing revolution is on the way
What Fuel Finder does not do
Despite its name, Fuel Finder does not regulate fuel prices or prevent increases. Retailers remain free to set prices as they wish. The scheme does not guarantee cheaper fuel, nor does it eliminate the often higher prices found at motorway service areas.
Its impact depends largely on how actively drivers use the available information and how consistently retailers comply with reporting obligations.
Enforcement and transition period
Price reporting became mandatory in early February 2026. During the initial implementation phase, enforcement is expected to focus on helping retailers comply rather than issuing immediate penalties.
The scheme is overseen by the Competition and Markets Authority, which has the power to act against non-compliant operators once the transition period ends.
Will it make a difference?
Fuel Finder removes one long-standing problem in the UK fuel market: the lack of consistent, up-to-date price information. It does not solve wider issues such as wholesale price volatility or taxation, but it does make price comparison easier and more transparent.
For drivers, the scheme is best seen as a tool rather than a solution. Used regularly, it may help reduce fuel costs at the margins. Ignored, it will make little difference at all.
