Since the Middle East crisis that began on 28 February 2026, UK pump prices have risen across the board — but not evenly. Petrol is up roughly 25 pence a litre. Diesel is up 48. One fuel has risen nearly twice as fast as the other.
You pull onto the forecourt, the pump ticks over to £60, and you drive off wondering how on earth a tank of fuel costs as much as a weekly shop. It's a fair question — and the answer is that the price on the display isn't really one price at all. It's five separate things stacked on top of each other, and only one of them actually pays for the petrol.
If you run a company car, manage a fleet, or process mileage claims for your team, the HMRC Advisory Fuel Rates (AFRs) are something you can't afford to get wrong. They're updated every three months, and applying the wrong rate can leave you facing unexpected tax charges or awkward conversations during an HMRC Employer Compliance Review.
Most drivers assume supermarkets are always the cheapest place to fill up. CMA data tells a different story — supermarket fuel margins have roughly doubled since 2019, independents sometimes undercut them, and motorway services charge up to 20p per litre more. We break down what the evidence actually shows and how to stop overpaying.
E10 and E5 are both unleaded petrol — the difference is how much ethanol is blended in. With UK fuel prices above 150p per litre and changes to fuel duty coming in late 2026, choosing the right grade matters more than ever. Here's what each fuel costs, which cars can use it, and how to decide.