Drivers will then be able to monitor live petrol prices using navigation services like Google Maps. The scheme has been designed to improve the competition of the market, with motorists having more information on what pumps are charging to fill up their tanks.
Under the ‘PumpWatch’ initiative, the details will also be available on price comparison sites too.
The Fuel Finder scheme follows a report by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) back in July 2023, which found there was a weak amount of competition at UK forecourts.
The report noted prices ranged wildly between different parts of the UK and that motorway service stations had a monopoly on what they could charge drivers for fuel.
Following a Government consultation, the wheels were put in motion for a scheme that collates the prices of petrol, but no date for its completion was confirmed. The target for the end of 2025 for Fuel Finder was so retailers have enough time to make the necessary changes to share up-to-date information for drivers.
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It will be mandatory that supermarkets and fuel retailers update their prices through the scheme. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero noted in its response to the consultation that the availability of fuel, closures of petrol stations and even the facilities available at the forecourts should also be included.
Fuel prices have steadily dropped of late, with it costing £3.60 less to fill up a tank in September than it did the month before.
As it stands, the average cost of unleaded petrol is 134.7 pence per litre (ppl) and diesel is 146ppl, according to RAC Fuel Watch data.
It marked one of the biggest price drops in the last 10 years, the motoring service revealed.
However, there have been long-term concerns from the CMA about the profit margins forecourts are including at the pumps, with some retailers making an extra 13ppl for unleaded petrol as recently as August.
In the Autumn Budget, Rachel Reeves announced that fuel duty will be frozen at 52.95ppl and the temporary 5p cut will continue into March 2026.
The Chancellor said: “I have concluded that in these difficult circumstances, while the cost of living remains high and with the backdrop of global uncertainty, increasing fuel duty next year would be the wrong choice for working people.”
This news was widely welcomed by campaign groups such as FairFuelUK and Right Fuel Card: Edenred, as the decision is set to save motorists £60 per year.
‘Fairer deal for drivers’
Simon Williams, RAC’s head of policy, said: “It’s fantastic to see the Government has now said it will introduce the PumpWatch scheme and fuel price monitoring function by the end of next year, as this is something we’ve long been calling for.
“This will help drivers get a fairer deal every time they fill up by enabling them to find the cheapest fuel near them and ensuring significant reductions in wholesale fuel prices are passed on to customers at the pumps.”
